Korean American names
Korean American families often pair a Korean name as a middle name with an English first name that's easy for teachers and classmates to say, like Grace Ji-min or Daniel Min-jun. Others keep the Korean name front and center, a quiet act of pride passed through generations far from Seoul.
Aaron a biblical name of uncertain origin, possibly Egyptian; Hebrew meanings such as high mountain are later theories; Moses' brother, a steady church name among Korean American families
Abigail father's joy (Old Testament, wife of King David); a fast-rising choice among younger Korean American church families
Andrew manly, brave (the apostle; a mainstay English pick in Korean American church communities)
Areum beauty (a pure native-Korean word name; a popular identity-marker choice among diaspora parents wanting a name with no hanja spelling)
Benjamin son of the right hand (youngest son of Jacob); a steady modern favorite in Korean American church families
Bora purple (a native Korean color word, chosen for the same non-hanja, distinctly-Korean identity reason as Areum)
Byeol star (별), a native Korean word name with no hanja spelling, chosen for the same identity-marker reasons as Areum and Haneul
Caleb whole-hearted, faithful (the loyal scout; a newer church favorite for Korean American sons)
Chaewon colorful garden, or gathering of talents; a bright modern Korean name that has grown in the diaspora alongside its K-pop-idol namesakes
Christina from Christiana, feminine of Christian (like Christine, a classic of the Korean American crossover generation)
Christine the French form of Christina; a dignified mid-century English church name still given today
Cindy from Mount Cynthus (short form of Cynthia, a common Korean American English name)
Claire clear, bright; a clean, easy-to-pronounce English pick increasingly popular with younger Korean American parents
Daniel God is my judge (one of the most common Korean American church names for boys)
Dasom love (다솜), an old poetic native Korean word revived as a modern given name in the same hangeul-name movement as Areum and Bora
David beloved (the shepherd king; a mainstay Korean American church name for sons)
Dong-hyun eastern virtue (a grandparent-generation name, now more common as a middle name)
Doyoon path and graciousness; a leading modern Korean name for sons, popular alongside Seojun and Junho
Elijah the Lord is my God (prophet who confronted the priests of Baal); a fast-rising Korean American church name
Elizabeth God is my oath (mother of John the Baptist); a dignified, enduringly popular Korean American church name
Esther star; heroine of the Book of Esther (a staple baptismal/English name in Korean American churches)
Eugene well-born (widely adopted as the English name for Korean men named Yoo-jin, since it echoes the sound closely; a well-documented dual-name crossover pick)
Eunji grace, kindness, and wisdom (a common home name frequently paired with the English name Grace in the classic Korean American dual-name pattern)
Faith faith, trust (a Protestant virtue name in the Korean American church register alongside Grace and Joy)
Grace grace, favor (the single most common English name Korean American parents pair with a Korean home name, as in Grace Eunji Kim)
Haneul sky (a native Korean word name, unisex and hanja-free)
Hannah favor, grace (a Korean American church favorite; the palindrome spelling also reads cleanly to Korean speakers)
Hyun virtuous, wise (short and often kept as-is rather than anglicized)
Hyunwoo virtuous and great; a solid, dependable modern Korean name for sons
Irene peace (a long-time favorite Korean American English name, also used as a stage name by Korean celebrities for its easy crossover sound)
Isaac he will laugh (the patriarch; a warm church classic among Korean American families)
Iseul dew (이슬), a native Korean word; not a hanja name; part of the same hangeul-name tradition as Areum and Bora already given to daughters here
Jacob supplanter (patriarch, father of the twelve tribes of Israel); a US #1 name for over a decade, popular among Korean American church families too
Jenny fair one (short form of Jennifer, a common Korean American English name)
Jia add elegance, add beauty (identical in spelling to 지아, a favorite modern Korean girls' name)
Jiho wisdom and vastness
Jihoon wisdom and brightness
John God is gracious (the plainest of the church classics, common across Korean American generations)
Jonathan God has given (Old Testament friend of David); a dignified church name across generations
Joon handsome and talented (a native Korean given name increasingly used as the sole legal American first name for second-generation sons)
Joseph he will add (a steady church classic across Korean American generations)
Joshua God is salvation (one of the most common church names for Korean American sons)
Joy joy, happiness (a favorite English half of the Korean American dual-name pair)
Julie youthful (a familiar crossover pick among Korean American families)
Junho handsome and grand; a classic-turned-modern Korean name given across recent generations of sons
Kwang-ho bright and grand; a solid grandfather-generation name, now usually kept as a middle name honoring an elder
Luke from Lucania, southern Italy (also the Gospel author's name); a short, clean English church name
Matthew gift of God (the Gospel author; a common church name for Korean American sons)
Michelle who is like God (a crossover classic of the Korean American second generation)
Minji quick-witted and wise
Minjun quick-witted and handsome
Naomi pleasantness (Ruth's mother-in-law; a gentle church classic in Korean American families)
Nari lily (a native Korean word, not a Sino-Korean/hanja name)
Nathan he gave (the prophet's name; a clean two-syllable church pick in Korean American families)
Paul small, humble (the apostle's name, a quiet staple among Korean American church families)
Peter rock (the apostle; a steady church pick in Korean American families)
Rachel ewe (Old Testament matriarch, wife of Jacob); a steady Korean American church name across generations
Rebecca to bind, tie (the matriarch; a familiar church name across Korean American generations)
Ruth companion, friend (the loyal heart of the Book of Ruth; a beloved church name among Korean American women)
Saerom new, fresh (새롬), a native Korean word name chosen for its bright, forward-looking sound
Samuel God has heard (a favorite church name for Korean American sons, often paired with a Korean home name)
Sarah princess (the matriarch; a steady church classic for Korean American daughters)
Seojun auspicious talent; the single most popular Korean boys' name of the 2010s-2020s, increasingly kept as the sole American given name
Seoyeon auspicious grace; one of the most popular 2010s-2020s Korean girls' names, increasingly kept as the sole legal American first name
Simon he has heard (the apostle Peter's original name); a quieter but steady Korean American church pick
Siwoo poem and rain (a lyrical modern name combo)
Soo-jin excellent and precious
Stephanie crown (a polished crossover favorite of the Korean American second generation)
Suho to protect, to guard; a modern Korean name boosted internationally by K-pop idol Suho of EXO
Sun-hee virtuous and joyful (a grandparent-generation name, still given as a middle name to honor an elder)
Sunny bright, sunny (an English nickname Korean Americans commonly adopt for names beginning with "Sun-," such as Sun-hwa or Sun-kyu)
Suzy outstanding and wise (Romanized as Suzy, a spelling that doubles as the familiar English nickname Susie)
Timothy honoring God (a church classic often chosen by Korean American families)
Woojin great and precious
Ye-jin beautiful truth
Yeji propriety and wisdom
Yerin beautiful and delicate; a fashionable modern Korean name for second-generation daughters
Yoon gloss, luster (depending on hanja); an increasingly popular unisex given name, sometimes kept as a sole American first name
Young-ja flourishing child; a Japanese-colonial-era generation name (the "-ja" ending borrowed from Japanese "-ko") once extremely common, now mostly kept as a grandmother's middle name
Yuna kind and graceful (boosted in the diaspora by Olympic figure skater Kim Yuna; increasingly given as the sole legal American name for second-generation daughters)
Which of these fits YOUR family? →