Korean boy names are abundant and deeply meaningful, making it hard to decide on one boy name with Korean roots. Explore popular and cute Korean boy names and their meanings to find the moniker that best describes your son or your hopes for him.
Popular Korean Boy Names
None of the top baby boy names in the U.S. are Korean, but you can find out which names are popular for boys in Korea. Traditional names in Korea typically include two to three elements. The first part of the name is the family name, like a last name. First names are written after the family name and usually include two syllables. In English, these first names are hyphenated and made from two elements that each have separate meanings.
Boy Names Popular in Korea
Choose a popular name for your son packed with meaning. Traditional Korean names are written in Hanja or the Hangul alphabet, but these are the common translations of those names.
- Do-yoon - path and allow
- Eun-woo - merciful and outstanding
- Ha-joon - great and talented
- Ha-yoon - great and allow
- Ji-ho - wisdom and greatness
- Ji-hu - wisdom and later
- Ji-yoo - wisdom and abundant
- Joon-woo - handsome and divine intervention
- Jun-seo - handsome and auspicious
- Ju-won - circumference and origin
- Min-jun - quick/gentle and handsome
- Seo-jun - auspicious and handsome
- Seo-yun - auspicious and sleek
- Si-woo - begin and divine intervention
- Yi-jun - talent and handsome
- Yu-jun - friend/courage and handsome
Most Common Korean Boy Names and Meanings
The most common names throughout the past several decades are the ones that were popular for a decade or more. 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 - east and virtuous
- Jeong-hoon - proper and rank
- Ji-hoon - wisdom/purpose and rank
- Jung-hoon - honest and rank
- Han-gyeol - uniformity
- Hyun- woo - wise and house
- Sang-hoon - benevolent and rank
- Sung-ho - successor and greatness
- Sung-hoon - successor and rank
- Sung-jin - successor and truth
- Sung-min - successor and quick/gentle
- Young-chul - eternal and firm
- Young-ho - eternal and greatness
- Young-soo - 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 - like a rock
- Bong - Phoenix
- Chin-hae - depth of the ocean
- Chul - iron
- Chung-hee - righteous and dutiful
- Daeshim - greatest mind
- Hyun-ki - wise and astute
- Kang-dae - mighty and strong
- Korain - luminous and glorious
- Kwan - one who is strong
- Mal-chin - persists until the end
- Sang-ook - one who is always well and healthy
- Suk-chin - unshakable rock
- Won-shik - head of the family
- Yong-rae - hero coming
- Yong-saeng - live forever
Unique and Cool Korean Boy Names
If you love Korean names but want a unique baby boy name, these options might hit the mark.
- Byeong-ho - bright and great
- Dae-jung - big and middle
- Duri - two
- Eun - kindness
- Haneul - heaven
- Hye - intelligent
- Hyeon - virtuous
- Il-seong - day and completed
- Seok - stone
- U-jin - 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
- Jimin - member of boy band BTS
- Joon - K-Pop singer and actor Park
- Jungkook - member of boy band BTS
- 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
Deciding on Your Korean Boy Name
Modern Korean names for boys can be traditional, Korean-American, or a combination of the two. Koreans are known for being adaptable and flexible about their names outside Korea. Many Koreans change their first names to more recognizable names, or prefer to be called by their "American name" when living in America. Biblical names and one-syllable first names are good examples of Korean-American names or modernized Korean names. Many Korean names are gender-neutral, so look into Korean girl names to get more ideas. You never quite know where your naming journey will lead you, so explore all of your options before deciding on the right one.
