We love how intentional and meaningful Korean boy names are. In Korea, the meaning of every name is considered of great importance, and in times past, parents have worked with fortune tellers to come up with their baby's name. That tradition is on its way out, but parents still put great care into choosing a meaningful name. These sweet baby boy names may be perfect for your little Korean gentleman.
Traditional Korean names are typically three syllables. The first syllable is the family name (the surname). The second and third are intentionally chosen by taking two meaningful one-syllable words and combining them to get the perfect name for the baby.
Popular Korean Boy Names
Traditional Korean names are written in Hanja or the Hangul alphabet, but these are the common translations. You'll notice that each name combines the meanings of the two, hyphenated syllables. These are the most popular boy names currently in South Korea.
- Do-yoon - means "path" and "allow"
- Eun-woo - means "kindness" and "bless"
- Ha-joon - means "great" and "talented"
- Ha-yoon - means "great" and "allow"
- Ji-ho - means "wisdom" and "greatness"
- Ji-hu - means "wisdom" and "later"
- Ji-yoo - means "wisdom" and "abundant"
- Joon-woo - means "handsome" and "divine intervention"
- Jun-seo - means "handsome" and "auspicious"
- Ju-won - means "circumference" and "origin"
- Min-jun - means "quick" or "gentle" and "handsome"
- Seo-jun - means "auspicious" and "handsome"
- Seo-yun - means "auspicious" and "sleek"
- Si-woo - means "begin" and "divine intervention"
- Yi-jun - means "talent" and "handsome"
- Yu-jun - means "friend" or "courage" and "handsome"
Common Korean Boy Names and Meanings
These common names have withstood the test of time over several decades. You'll find that many Korean baby boys were given these names throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.
Korean-American versions of these and other Korean names might eliminate the hyphen or have varied spellings where "oo" and "u" are interchangeable.
- Dong-hyun - means "east" and "virtuous"
- Jeong-hoon - means "proper" and "rank"
- Ji-hoon - means "wisdom" or "purpose" and "rank"
- Jung-hoon - means "honest" and "rank"
- Han-gyeol - means "uniformity" and "a great moment"
- Hyun- woo - means "wise" and "house"
- Sang-hoon - means "benevolent" and "rank"
- Sung-ho - means "successor" and "greatness"
- Sung-hoon - means "successor" and "rank"
- Sung-jin - means "successor" and "truth"
- Sung-min - means "successor" and "quick" or "gentle"
- Young-chul - means "eternal" and "firm"
- Young-ho - means "eternal" and "greatness"
- Young-soo - means "eternal" and "lifespan"
Strong Korean Male Names
Strong boy names in Korean include those with powerful meanings, perfect for a son who will grow to move mountains someday. Parents living in the western world might also consider giving their son a more common western first name, paired with a Korean middle name to honor their heritage.
- Beom-seok - means "like a rock"
- Bong - means "Phoenix"
- Chin-hae - means "depth of the ocean"
- Chul - means "iron"
- Chung-hee - means "righteous" and "dutiful"
- Daeshim - means "greatest mind"
- Hyun-ki - means "wise" and "astute"
- Kang-dae - means "mighty" and "strong"
- Korain - means "luminous" and "glorious"
- Kwan - means "one who is strong"
- Mal-chin - means "persists until the end"
- Sang-ook - means "one who is always well and healthy"
- Suk-chin - means "unshakable" and "rock"
- Won-shik - means "head of the family"
- Yong-rae - means "hero" and "coming"
- Yong-saeng - means "live" and "forever"
Another Korean naming tradition is that siblings often have the same first syllable of their given name (as well as the same surname, of course), and only the second syllable varies. For instance, two brothers might be called Sung-Ho and Sung-Hoon. This tradition isn't as common as it used to be.
Unique and Cool Korean Boy Names
These Korean boy names are less common. So if you're looking for something unique, these options could work.
- Byeong-ho - means "bright" and "great"
- Dae-jung - means "big" and "middle"
- Duck-hwan - means "return of the virtue"
- Duri - means "two"
- Eun - means "kindness"
- Haneul - means "heaven"
- Hye - means "intelligent"
- Hyeon - means "virtuous"
- Il-seong - means "day" and "completed"
- Seok - means "stone"
- U-jin - means "universe" and "genuine"
Korean City Names to Use As Boy Names
If you love Korean culture or want to honor where your ancestors came from, you could use Korean provinces or city names as uncommon Korean first name ideas.
- Boseong - tea farming capital of South Korea
- Busan - South Korea's second-largest city
- Daejeon - city in central Korea
- Jeju-Do - volcanic island off the coast of South Korea
- Jinhae - city known for its cherry blossom festival
- Seoul- capital of South Korea
- Ulsan - small city in South Korea
Korean Celebrity Names for Boys
Famous Korean actors and musicians offer pop culture inspiration for Korean boy names. Notable Korean leaders, the Korean royal family, and other professionals also have great names you could bestow on your child. You'll see that some Korean celebrities have traditional names, while others don't.
- Eric - singer/songwriter Nam
- Hyun - actor Bin
- Jae/Jay - Musician Jae Park from Day6 or Rapper Jay Park
- Jae-in - current leader of South Korea (means "talent" and "wealth")
- Jimin - member of boy band BTS
- Joon - K-Pop singer and actor Park
- Jungkook - member of boy band BTS (means "the pillar of a nation")
- Heong-min - record-setting soccer player Son
- Ken - actor Jeong
- Kevin - singer/host Woo
- Peniel - boy group BtoB member Shin
- Suga - member of boy band BTS
- Syngman - first President of South Korea Rhee
- Tae-hwan - Olympic gold medal swimmer Park
One-Syllable Korean Boy Names
If you're looking for a Korean name with meaning but want to buck the tradition of a two-syllable name, some of these baby names might be perfect.
- Ae - means "love"
- Ahn - means "tranquility"
- Bae - means "inspiration"
- Baek - means "older brother"
- Bai - means "pure"
- Chai - means "firewood"
- Chung - means "noble"
- Dae - means "great one"
- Dong - means "east" or "rising sun"
- Duri - means "two"
- Gi - means "fearless"
- Hae - means "ocean"
- Hoon - means "rank" or "virtue"
- Jee - means "ambitious"
- Jeong - means "gentle"
- Ji - means "wisdom"
- Jun - means "talented"
- Min - means "shining"
- Moon - means "literate"
- So - means "smile"
- Sun - means "goodness"
- Tae - means "exalted one"
Deciding on Your Korean Boy Name
While Korean naming traditions have softened in modern times, you can choose a deeply traditional name, something more modern, or one that has a lot of meaning for your family. We love all these Korean boy names, and one could be perfect for your baby.
