KOREAN BABY NAMES

A Korean Baby Name
Customs in Korea vary considerably from the Western culture when naming a baby. A Korean name is only ever repeated by complete accident. The majority of given Korean name's are unique. Please see below for some examples of Baby girl and Baby boy name's. Chinese-based name's became the norm among upper and middle classes in Korea during the Go-Ryu dynasty.

Korean Names - their order
The order of Korean name's is presented in the reverse to the Western format. A Korean name would therefore be transcribed in the following order: surname, given name. There are often errors in transcriptions when the characters of the given name are written separately. Some Korean-Americans have adopted a Western name however they use their Korean one as a middle name.

Given Names
There are thousands of Korean characters and the given name usually consists of two syllables taken from any of the thousands of these characters. The range of name's is therefore almost limitless. Naming traditions in Korea can include and represent all forms of nature and the environment or characteristics or even have mystical meanings. Many will reflect a specific period in history. The Western custom of naming a baby after another close member of the family would be unheard of as a custom or tradition in the Korean culture.

The Usage
The given name in Korea is rarely used within the close-knit family circle. In Western culture children rarely address their parents by their given name - they are referred to as " Mom" or "Dad". This custom is also adhered to in Korea but the custom extends to the whole family. In a family of three brothers their siblings would use the address of 'second brother' for instance. In turn the parents of Korean children often give then a unique nickname within the family. Outside the family circle the nickname would not be normally used.