Korean Names With Meaning: Popular Girl and Boy Names, Hanja and Saju
Korean given names are short — usually two syllables — but each syllable can carry a chosen meaning through hanja (Chinese characters used in Korean). Here are popular Korean girl and boy names with the meanings parents most often choose, a few beautiful pure-Korean names, and how naming experts use saju to pick them.
How a Korean Name Works
A Korean name puts the family name first — Kim, Lee, Park and Choi are the most common — followed by a two-syllable given name, such as Kim Seo-yeon. Each syllable of the given name is usually written with a hanja character that carries a meaning.
Because many hanja share the same sound, the same name can mean different things in different families. The meanings below are the common choices, not the only ones.
Korean Girl Names With Meaning
Seo-yeon (서연) — 瑞 "auspicious" + 妍 "beautiful". Seo-a (서아) — 瑞 "auspicious" + 雅 "elegant". Ji-woo (지우) — 智 "wisdom" + 祐 "blessing". Min-seo (민서) — 敏 "quick-witted" + 瑞 "auspicious".
Ha-eun (하은) — 河 "river" or 夏 "summer" + 恩 "grace". Ji-an (지안) — 智 "wisdom" + 安 "peace". Su-a (수아) — 秀 "excellent" + 雅 "elegant". Yu-na (유나) — 柔 "gentle" + 娜 "graceful".
What is your Korean name?
Enter your birthday — we find the element your saju chart needs and suggest a Korean name with hanja and the reasons behind it.
Korean Boy Names With Meaning
Min-jun (민준) — 敏 "quick" + 俊 "talented". Seo-jun (서준) — 瑞 "auspicious" + 俊 "talented". Ye-jun (예준) — 睿 "wise" + 俊 "talented". Do-yun (도윤) — 道 "the way" + 允 "sincere".
Si-woo (시우) — 時 "time" + 雨 "rain": rain that arrives right when it is needed. Eun-woo (은우) — 恩 "grace" + 祐 "blessing". Ji-ho (지호) — 智 "wisdom" + 浩 "vast". Yu-jun (유준) — 裕 "abundant" + 俊 "talented".
Pure-Korean Names (No Hanja)
Some parents choose native Korean words instead of hanja. Ha-neul (하늘) means "sky". Bom (봄) means "spring". Na-rae (나래) means "wings". Bit-na (빛나) means "to shine". Ba-da (바다) means "sea".
Han-gyeol (한결) means "always the same" — steadfast and constant. Pure-Korean names feel soft and modern, and they are popular with both girls and boys.
How Saju and the Five Elements Guide a Name
Traditional Korean naming experts read the baby's saju — the four pillars of the birth date and time — to find which of the five elements the chart lacks, then choose hanja that add it. Many hanja show their element in a part of the character, the radical.
For example, 浩 (vast) carries Water (氵), 炫 (dazzling) carries Fire (火), 林 (forest) carries Wood (木), 鉉 (the handle of a bronze vessel) carries Metal (金) and 垠 (horizon) carries Earth (土). A name is meant to bring the chart a little closer to balance.
Get a Korean Name From Your Birthday
Our free Korean name generator uses the same idea: it reads your birth date, finds the element your chart needs most, and suggests a Korean name with hanja and the reasons behind each character — in about ten seconds.
It is a playful, saju-inspired name for fun and keepsakes, not an official naming service.
What is your Korean name?
Enter your birthday — we find the element your saju chart needs and suggest a Korean name with hanja and the reasons behind it.
Questions people ask
What are the most popular Korean names right now?
Recent birth records put names like Seo-jun, Ha-jun and Do-yun near the top for boys, and Seo-a, Ha-yun and Ji-an for girls. Popular names change every few years.
Do Korean names always have hanja?
Most do, but not all. Pure-Korean names such as Ha-neul (sky) or Bom (spring) use native Korean words and have no hanja.
Can one Korean name have different meanings?
Yes. Each syllable can be written with several hanja that share the sound, so Ha-eun can be "summer grace" in one family and "river grace" in another.
How do I get a Korean name from my birthday?
Use the free generator: enter your birth date and it suggests a Korean name with hanja chosen for the element your saju chart needs most.
More guides
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