Korean Name Generator
Twenty Korean names at a time, written family name first, in three styles: modern, classic (older generation) and native Korean word names.
- Hong Myung-hee
- Kim Seo-yeon
- Kim Na-ruferry crossing
- Moon Bo-rapurple
- Jang Seung-ho
- Ahn Tae-hoon
- Kwon Jung-min
- Moon Byeolstar
- Kang Sung-min
- Yoon Sung-jin
- Seo Yu-jin
- Bae Byeolstar
- Kwon Ga-ramriver
- Lim Min-soo
- Song Na-yeon
- Song Bok-soon
- Kim Su-jin
- Nam Dong-hoon
- Choi Sung-jin
- Bae Jae-won
How Korean names are built
A Korean name is written family name first, then the given name, so Kim Seo-yeon is a Kim named Seo-yeon. Most given names are two syllables, and each syllable is normally a Chinese-origin character chosen for its meaning, which is why parents can spend weeks on a two-syllable choice. In romanized form the syllables are usually joined with a hyphen (Seo-yeon) or run together (Seoyeon). Both are correct.
The family name pool is very small. Kim, Lee, Park and Choi cover close to half of South Koreans, so the given name does nearly all the work of telling people apart. Spellings of the family names in English follow whatever the person's first passport used, which is why the same 이 family can appear as Lee, Yi or Rhee.
Given names also carry a generation. Names like Young-hee or Soon-ja were common for women born in the mid-twentieth century. Seo-yeon, Ha-yoon and Ji-woo belong to children born after 2000. If your character or story has a birth year, the style chips above will match it.
Native Korean names
A smaller group of names skips the Chinese characters and uses pure Korean words: Ha-neul (sky), Ga-ram (river), Bom (spring). They became fashionable with newer generations, and they are often unisex, which makes them handy when you need a name that does not announce a gender. Native names tend to have a soft, open sound, with vowels at the end of each syllable.
The generator shows a short meaning next to native names where the word is plain and well known. Hanja-based names are left without a gloss on purpose, because the same sound can be written with many different characters and only the family knows which one they picked.
Gender, sound and the hanja habit
Korean has no grammatical gender in names, but sound patterns carry it anyway. Endings such as -yeon, -eun, -rin and -a lean female. Endings such as -jun, -ho, -woo and -hoon lean male. Names ending in -jin, -min or -won swing both ways depending on the first syllable, and the neutral setting draws from that group.
Siblings often share one syllable, called a dollimja. Two brothers might be Seung-min and Seung-hyun. It is a real tradition, and a quick way to make invented siblings look like a family.
Korean names that work, and why (22)
- Kim Seo-yeonOne of the most common combinations of a top family name with a popular modern girl's name, so it reads as instantly ordinary and Korean.
- Lee Min-junMin-jun has ranked among the top boys' names in South Korea for years, and Lee is the second most common surname.
- Park Ji-wooJi-woo works for a girl or a boy, which keeps it useful when you have not decided yet.
- Choi Ha-yoonA soft, current girls' name paired with Choi, a family name that appears constantly in Korean dramas and news.
- Jung Do-yunDo-yun is a widely used modern boys' name, and Jung is the standard spelling many families use for the Jeong surname.
- Kang Seo-junSeo-jun has a clean, quick sound and turns up in every recent list of popular boys' names.
- Yoon Chae-wonChae-won is bright and slightly formal, and the Yoon spelling is what most families use for the 윤 surname.
- Han Ji-hoShort, sturdy and unisex-leaning, with a family name that only takes one syllable to say.
- Shin Ye-eunYe-eun sounds delicate and is used for girls, and Shin balances it with a crisp, single-beat surname.
- Song Woo-jinWoo-jin has a firm sound and suits a grown-up male character of any age.
- Kim Young-heeA classic name for women born around the middle of the last century, and a good pick for a grandmother.
- Park Chul-sooChul-soo was the everyday boys' name of an earlier generation, so it dates a character at once.
- Lee Soon-jaSoon-ja carries a strong association with older women, with the -ja ending of that generation.
- Choi Jung-hoonA solid classic male name that fits a father, boss or coach in a story.
- Cho Eun-jungEun-jung has the balanced two-part sound of mid-generation names and works for a woman in her forties or fifties.
- Kwon Sang-hoonSang-hoon reads as a dependable, slightly serious man, the sort of name a manager or teacher would have.
- Kim Ha-neulA native Korean name meaning sky. Both boys and girls get it, and the plain sound is very easy to say.
- Jang Bo-raBo-ra means purple, a native word name with a light, musical sound that suits a girl or young woman.
- Yoo Ga-ramGa-ram means river and belongs mostly to boys. It is a good choice when you want a nature name that is not a cliché.
- Baek Da-somDa-som is a native word connected to affection, and Baek is a less common surname that makes the whole name feel specific.
- Moon Sae-byeokSae-byeok means dawn. It is rare and striking, and it works as a girl's name in fiction.
- Hwang Han-gyeolHan-gyeol suggests steadiness. It gives a male character a name with a small idea built into it.
Picking a Korean name that fits
- Put the family name first when you write the full name in a Korean-language story, and keep that order in English text unless your setting uses Western order for a character who has moved abroad.
- Match the given name to a birth year. Ha-yoon or Seo-yeon for a child of the 2010s, Ji-yeon or Min-jun for the 1990s and 2000s, Young-hee or Chul-soo for someone who is now elderly.
- Use two syllables for the given name almost every time. A one-syllable name is possible but reads as unusual, and three-syllable given names are rare.
- Give siblings a shared syllable if you want them to look like one family, and vary the other syllable so you can tell them apart in dialogue.
- Check that the hyphen style is consistent across your cast. Seo-yeon and Seoyeon are the same name, but mixing them in one document looks careless.
Questions people ask
What order do Korean names go in?
Family name first, then the given name. A person called Kim Ji-woo is a Kim, and Ji-woo is the personal name. English publications about Korea usually keep that order, unlike Japanese names, which are often flipped.
What are the most common Korean last names?
Kim, Lee, Park and Choi are the four most common family names, and together they cover nearly half of South Koreans. Jung (Jeong), Kang, Cho, Yoon and Jang follow. Most of these have several accepted romanizations.
How do I pick a Korean name for a girl or a boy?
Choose the sound first. Ji-yeon, Seo-yeon and Ha-eun read as girls' names, and Min-jun, Do-yun and Hyun-woo read as boys' names. If you want a name that works for either, try Ji-woo, Ha-neul or Yu-jin.
Do Korean names have meanings?
Yes. Most are written with Chinese characters that carry meanings such as wisdom, beauty or brightness, and a few are pure Korean words like Ha-neul, which means sky. The same spoken name can mean different things depending on the characters.
Are these real Korean names?
Yes. The given names are in ordinary use in Korea and the family names are among the most frequent. Combinations are random, so any specific full name may belong to a real person by coincidence.
Is the hyphen in a Korean name required?
No. The hyphen in Seo-yeon just marks the two syllables, and many people write Seoyeon or Seo Yeon instead. Official documents follow whatever spelling the person registered, so pick one style and use it throughout.
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Sources
- Korean name, Wikipedia
Updated September 2026 · How these names are made