Korean boy names include Min-jun, Seo-jun, Ha-jun, Do-yun, Ji-hun and Jun-ho, and because most are two Sino-Korean syllables, each name’s meaning depends on the hanja characters chosen to write it.
Korean boy names such as Min-jun, Seo-jun, Ha-jun, Do-yun and Ji-hun are usually two syllables, and the meaning of each depends on the hanja (Chinese characters) chosen, because the same sound can be written with different characters. This list gives 69 masculine Korean names with their hangul spelling, example hanja from each name’s reference entry, and what those characters mean.
We grouped the names by theme: talent and wisdom, strength and achievement, nature and light, paths and family, short and unique picks, and common spelling variants. You will also find a plain explanation of how Korean names work and a checklist for choosing a name and a spelling with care.
Key Takeaways
A Korean name’s meaning depends on the hanja used to write it, and one sound can be written many ways.
All 69 names here were checked against their own Behind the Name entries, which list them as masculine Korean names.
A full Korean name is a surname first, usually one syllable, then a given name that is usually two syllables.
Hyphens are optional: Seo-jun and Seojun are both correct romanizations.
Names listed for boys and girls, including native Korean names, are in our Korean girl names guide.
Table of Contents
Korean Boy Names at a Glance
Quick Answer
Korean boy names include Min-jun, Seo-jun, Ha-jun, Do-yun, Ji-hun, Jun-ho, Geon-u, Hyeon-u, U-jin and Ye-jun. Most Korean given names are two Sino-Korean syllables, each written with a hanja (Chinese character), so the meaning depends on the hanja the family chooses. The same sound can be written with different hanja, which means one name can carry several meanings.
How we checked: every name on this page has its own entry on Behind the Name, the long-running name etymology reference, with Korean usage and a masculine-only gender. We looked up all 69 entries in October 2026. The hangul, the example hanja and the glosses in quotation marks are the ones each entry gives. Where an entry only says a spelling is another way of writing a name, we say exactly that.
Read each row as one common way to write the name, never as its single meaning. Min-jun is a good example: its entry gives 敏俊 and 旼俊, so the first syllable can mean “quick, clever, sharp” or “gentle, affable” depending on the character, and the entry adds that other combinations are possible.
Here is how the page is organized, so you can jump to the style you like:
Talent, wisdom and character: names built on characters such as 俊 (“talented, handsome”), 智 (“wisdom, intellect”) and 賢 (“virtuous, worthy, able”).
Achievement and strength: names with 成 (“completed, finished, succeeded”), 建 (“build, establish”), 大 (“big, great”) and 勛 (“meritorious deed, rank”).
Nature, sky and light: names with characters for east, root, rain, jade, heaven and brightness.
Paths, family and friendship: names with characters for a path, a friend, lineage and things that last.
Short and unique picks: single-syllable names and a Korean form of a name you already know.
Spelling variants: the other romanized spellings Behind the Name lists as their own entries, such as Ji-hoon for Ji-hun.
Names that Behind the Name lists for both boys and girls, including several well-known native Korean names, are collected in the unisex section of our Korean girl names guide, so this page sticks to names listed for boys only. If you are comparing languages, our Japanese boy names list uses the same checked approach with kanji.
How Korean Names Work: Surname First, Then a Given Name
Before you pick a name, it helps to know how a full Korean name fits together. These points come from Behind the Name’s background page on Korean names, the Cultural Atlas guide to South Korean naming, and the romanization rules published by South Korea’s National Institute of Korean Language.
Family name first: a full Korean name is a surname followed by a given name. Western publications do not always keep that order, so you may see the same person listed both ways.
Short surnames: Korean surnames are usually one hanja character, so one syllable. Behind the Name notes a few very rare two-character surnames and says Kim, Lee, Park and Choi together account for about half the population.
Two-syllable given names: a given name usually has two syllables, each normally a hanja character. Occasionally a given name is a single character, which is why you will see Hwan and Seok below.
No middle name: the Cultural Atlas says the two syllables of a given name are treated as one unit and that South Korea does not use the idea of a middle name.
Generation names: traditionally, one syllable of the given name was chosen for the child, and the other was a generation name shared by same-gender siblings in a family, according to the Cultural Atlas. Brothers might share one syllable and differ in the other.
Surnames at marriage: the same guide says women do not change their legal names at marriage, which is worth knowing if you are combining Korean and American naming habits.
Hyphen or no hyphen: the official romanization rules say syllables in given names are written without a hyphen as a rule, but a hyphen between syllables is allowed. Their own examples show both, such as Min Yongha and Min Yong-ha.
That last point explains the hyphens on this page. Behind the Name writes two-syllable names with a hyphen (Seo-jun, Min-jun), which keeps each syllable easy to read. Writing Seojun or Minjun is just as correct. Choose one form and use it on every document.
Hanja, Hangul and Why One Korean Name Has Many Meanings
Korean is written in hangul, the Korean alphabet. A name such as 민준 is the hangul spelling of Min-jun, and it tells you the sound. Hanja are Chinese characters used with Korean pronunciation. Behind the Name describes traditional Korean given names as usually composed of two hanja, much like Chinese given names, with the characters pronounced the Korean way.
Here is the key idea. Many hanja share one sound. The syllable “jun” can be 俊 (“talented, handsome”) or 准 (“approve, permit”), and “ho” can be 浩 (“great, numerous, vast”), 昊 (“summer, sky, heaven”) or 鎬 (“stove, bright”). So when a list tells you a Korean name “means” one thing, ask which characters it is talking about. Two boys named Jun-ho can carry quite different meanings.
Not every Korean name uses hanja. Behind the Name notes that some modern parents choose names built from native Korean words that have no corresponding hanja. Those names are written only in hangul and carry the plain meaning of the Korean word. Every native Korean name we checked is listed for both boys and girls, so you will find them on our Korean girl names page rather than here.
Some hanja turn up again and again in the names below. Knowing a handful makes the tables much easier to scan:
俊 (jun): “talented, handsome”, in Min-jun, Seo-jun, Ye-jun, Hyeon-jun, Jun-ho, Jun-seo and Jun-u.
成 (seong): “completed, finished, succeeded”, in Dae-seong, Seong-hun, Seong-ho and several other Seong- names.
賢 (hyeon): “virtuous, worthy, able”, one option in Do-hyeon, Hyeon-jun and Hyeon-u.
浩 (ho): “great, numerous, vast”, one option in Byeong-ho, Jeong-ho, Min-ho, Jin-ho and Yeong-ho.
勛 (hun): “meritorious deed, rank”, in Ji-hun, Jeong-hun, Seong-hun and Sang-hun.
宇 (u): “house, universe”, one option in Geon-u, Jin-u and U-jin.
敏 (min): “quick, clever, sharp”, one option in Min-jun, Min-ho and Seong-min.
If your family already has a name in mind, the most reliable meaning is the one written with the hanja your relatives choose, not the one on any list, including this one.
Korean Boy Names and Meanings: Talent, Wisdom and Character
These Korean boy names use characters for qualities many parents hope for: talent, cleverness, wisdom and a good character. Several share the syllable 俊, so they sound related, which can be nice for brothers or cousins.
Name
Hangul
Example hanja
Meaning of those hanja
Min-jun
민준
敏俊, 旼俊
敏 “quick, clever, sharp” or 旼 “gentle, affable”, plus 俊 “talented, handsome”
Seo-jun
서준
瑞俊, 舒俊
瑞 “felicitous omen, auspicious” or 舒 “open up, unfold, comfortable, easy”, plus 俊 “talented, handsome”
Ye-jun
예준
藝俊
藝 “art, talent, craft”, plus 俊 “talented, handsome”
Hyeon-jun
현준
賢俊, 鉉俊, 鉉濬
賢 “virtuous, worthy, able” or 鉉 “cauldron support”, plus 俊 “talented, handsome” or 濬 “deep, profound”
Jun-ho
준호
俊鎬, 俊昊
俊 “talented, handsome”, plus 鎬 “stove, bright” or 昊 “summer, sky, heaven”
Jun-seo
준서
俊舒, 俊瑞
俊 “talented, handsome”, plus 舒 “open up, unfold, comfortable, easy” or 瑞 “felicitous omen, auspicious”
Jun-u
준우
俊優
俊 “talented, handsome”, plus 優 “superior, excellent”
Ji-hun
지훈
智勛, 志勛
智 “wisdom, intellect” or 志 “will, purpose, ambition”, plus 勛 “meritorious deed, rank”
Do-hyeon
도현
度賢
度 “size, extent, limit”, plus 賢 “virtuous, worthy, able”
Min-ho
민호
敏鎬, 敏浩
敏 “quick, clever, sharp”, plus 鎬 “stove, bright” or 浩 “great, numerous, vast”
Seong-min
성민
成敏, 性旻
成 “completed, finished, succeeded” or 性 “nature, character, sex”, plus 敏 “quick, clever, sharp” or 旻 “heaven”
Korean boy names about talent, wisdom and character. Meaning depends on the hanja chosen. The same sound can be written with other hanja, so these are examples from each name’s Behind the Name entry, not the only spellings.
Notice how Ji-hun pairs wisdom (智) or purpose (志) with merit (勛), while Seong-min can mean something like succeeding plus cleverness, or a person’s nature plus heaven, depending on the characters. Min-jun and Seo-jun are easy to say in English, and the hyphen keeps the two syllables clear. For more names around this sound, see our boy names that start with M list.
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Strong Korean Boy Names: Achievement, Building and Merit
If you want a name with a sense of strength or accomplishment, look at characters such as 大 (“big, great, vast, large, high”), 成 (“completed, finished, succeeded”), 建 (“build, establish”) and 勛 (“meritorious deed, rank”).
大 “big, great, vast, large, high”, plus 中 “middle”
Geon-u
건우
建宇, 建雨
建 “build, establish”, plus 宇 “house, universe” or 雨 “rain”
Jae-seong
재성
在成, 宰誠
在 “located at, exist” or 宰 “kill, rule”, plus 成 “completed, finished, succeeded” or 誠 “sincere, honest, true”
Seong-hun
성훈
成勛
成 “completed, finished, succeeded”, plus 勛 “meritorious deed, rank”
Jeong-hun
정훈
正勛
正 “right, proper, correct”, plus 勛 “meritorious deed, rank”
Sang-hun
상훈
尚勛
尚 “still, yet”, plus 勛 “meritorious deed, rank”
Jeong-ho
정호
正好, 正浩
正 “right, proper, correct”, plus 好 “good, excellent” or 浩 “great, numerous, vast”
Seong-ho
성호
成鎬, 盛晧
成 “completed, finished, succeeded” or 盛 “abundant, flourishing”, plus 鎬 “stove, bright” or 晧 “daybreak, bright”
Seong-jin
성진
成震, 星鎭
成 “completed, finished, succeeded” or 星 “star, planet”, plus 鎭 “town, marketplace” or 震 “shake, tremor, excite”
Seong-su
성수
成洙, 聖洙
成 “completed, finished, succeeded” or 聖 “holy, sacred”, plus 洙, which refers to a river in China
Yeong-gi
영기
榮起
榮 “glory, honor, flourish, prosper”, plus 起 “rise, stand up, begin”
Strong Korean names for boys. Meaning depends on the hanja chosen. The same sound can be written with other hanja, so these are examples from each name’s Behind the Name entry, not the only spellings.
A note of honesty: some glosses are not what an English speaker might expect. One spelling of Jae-seong uses 宰, which Behind the Name glosses as “kill, rule”, and 洙 in Seong-su simply names a river in China. That is why it pays to choose the exact characters with care, or with help. For strength-themed names from other languages, see our strong boy names guide.
Korean Boy Names From Nature, Sky and Light
Korean names for boys often draw on the natural world through their hanja: the east, a root, rain, jade, heaven, stars and brightness.
Name
Hangul
Example hanja
Meaning of those hanja
Byeong-ho
병호
炳浩, 炳昊
炳 “bright, luminous, glorious”, plus 浩 “great, numerous, vast” or 昊 “summer, sky, heaven”
Dong-hyeon
동현
東炫, 東賢
東 “east”, plus 炫 “shine, glitter” (the entry glosses this spelling)
Dong-geun
동근
東根
東 “east”, plus 根 “root, foundation”
Hyeon-u
현우
賢祐, 顯雨
賢 “virtuous, worthy, able” or 顯 “manifest, clear”, plus 祐 “divine intervention, protection” or 雨 “rain”
Yeong-ho
영호
英浩, 泳浩, 映皓
英 “flower, petal, brave, hero”, 映 “reflect light” or 泳 “dive, swim”, plus 浩 “great, numerous, vast” or 皓 “bright, luminous, clear, hoary”
Yeong-hwan
영환
永煥, 泳煥
永 “perpetual, eternal” or 泳 “dive, swim”, plus 煥 “shining, brilliant, lustrous”
Seok-jin
석진
碩珍, 錫辰
碩 “large, great”, plus 珍 “precious, rare” (the entry glosses the first spelling)
Min-gyu
민규
旼奎, 珉奎, 玟奎, 旻奎, 敏圭
旼 “gentle, affable”, 珉 or 玟 “jade, stone resembling jade” or 旻 “heaven”, plus 奎 “stride”
Min-jae
민재
珉在, 玟在, 珉宰, 玟宰
珉 or 玟 “jade, stone resembling jade”, plus 在 “located at, exist” or 宰 “kill, rule”
Korean boy names with nature and light meanings. Meaning depends on the hanja chosen. The same sound can be written with other hanja, so these are examples from each name’s Behind the Name entry, not the only spellings.
Byeong-ho and Yeong-hwan both lean toward brightness, while Dong-geun pairs “east” with “root, foundation”. Min-gyu and Min-jae can open with the jade characters 珉 or 玟. Geon-u and Hyeon-u from other sections can end in 雨, “rain”, and Seong-jin can open with 星, “star, planet”. If you like nature names in general, look for these characters when you browse hanja with a relative or a dictionary.
Korean Boy Names About Paths, Family and Friendship
These names use characters for a path, permission and blessing, friendship, people and lineage, and things that last.
Name
Hangul
Example hanja
Meaning of those hanja
Do-yun
도윤
道允
道 “path, road, way”, plus 允 “allow, consent”
Ha-jun
하준
夏准
夏 “summer, great, grand”, plus 准 “approve, permit”
I-jun
이준
利准
利 “advantage, benefit”, plus 准 “approve, permit”
U-jin
우진
宇眞, 佑鎭
宇 “house, universe” or 佑 “help, protect, bless”, plus 眞 “real, genuine” or 鎭 “town, market place”
Jin-u
진우
鎭宇, 珍友
鎭 “town, marketplace” or 珍 “precious, rare”, plus 宇 “house, universe” or 友 “friend, companion”
Jin-ho
진호
珍浩, 珍鎬
珍 “precious, rare”, plus 浩 “great, numerous, vast” (the entry glosses the first spelling)
Min-su
민수
民秀, 旼洙
民 “people, citizens” or 旼 “gentle, affable”, plus 秀 “luxuriant, beautiful, elegant, outstanding” or 洙, which refers to a river in China
Jong-su
종수
宗秀
宗 “lineage, ancestry”, plus 秀 “luxuriant, beautiful, elegant, outstanding”
Yeong-cheol
영철
永哲
永 “perpetual, eternal”, plus 哲 “wise, sage”
Korean boy names about paths, family and friendship. Meaning depends on the hanja chosen. The same sound can be written with other hanja, so these are examples from each name’s Behind the Name entry, not the only spellings.
Do-yun opens with 道, “path, road, way”, and Jin-u can end in 友, “friend, companion”. Jong-su starts with 宗, “lineage, ancestry”, and Yeong-cheol joins “perpetual, eternal” with “wise, sage”. Ha-jun and I-jun share 准, “approve, permit”, in the spellings their entries show.
Short, Single-Syllable and Unique Korean Boy Names
Single-character given names exist but are less usual. Each entry here says the syllable more often appears as part of a two-syllable name, so these also work as a starting point if you want to build a name around one meaningful character.
Name
Hangul
Example hanja
Meaning of those hanja
Hwan
환
煥
煥 “shining, brilliant, lustrous”; the entry says it usually occurs in combination with another character
Hye
혜
慧, 惠
慧 “bright, intelligent”; per the entry it appears rarely as a single-character name and more often with another character
Seok
석
石, 錫, 碩
石 “stone” or 錫 “tin”; per the entry it appears rarely alone and more often with another character
Yo-han
요한
曜漢, 耀漢
曜 “shine, glorious”, plus 漢 “Chinese person”; the entry adds that this is also the Korean form of John
Short and unique Korean names for boys. Meaning depends on the hanja chosen. The same sound can be written with other hanja, so these are examples from each name’s Behind the Name entry, not the only spellings.
Yo-han is a nice bridge name for families who want something that works in Korean and connects to a familiar name in English. For other forms of classic names, see our biblical boy names list.
Unique is partly a matter of taste. Among the names on this page, Dong-geun, Sang-hun, Yeong-cheol, Jong-su and Yeong-gi may sound less familiar to English speakers than Min-jun or Seo-jun. That is our impression, not a statistic, since we did not read an official count of how often each name is given in Korea.
Looking for a name Behind the Name lists for boys and girls, such as many names ending in -u or -woo? Those are in the Unisex Korean Names section of our Korean girl names guide.
Same Name, Different Spelling: Romanization Variants
Korean sounds can be written in the Latin alphabet in more than one way. South Korea’s official system, published by the National Institute of Korean Language, writes 어 as eo, 우 as u and 워 as wo, and writes ㄱ, ㄷ and ㅂ at the start of a syllable as g, d and b. That is why the main rows above read Byeong-ho, Geon-u and U-jin.
You will still see other spellings everywhere. Behind the Name gives many of these spellings their own entries, and each entry says it is an alternate transcription of the same hangul. These are spelling choices, not different names.
Spelling
Hangul
Alternate transcription of
Byung-ho
병호
Byeong-ho
Pyong-ho
병호
Byeong-ho
Dong-hyun
동현
Dong-hyeon
Gun-woo
건우
Geon-u
Kun-woo
건우
Geon-u
Ha-joon
하준
Ha-jun
Hyun-woo
현우
Hyeon-u
Ji-hoon
지훈
Ji-hun
Jin-woo
진우
Jin-u
Joon
준
the single-syllable name 준, whose entry is listed for boys and girls and gives 俊 “talented, handsome” as a common hanja
Joon-ho
준호
Jun-ho
Jung-ho
정호
Jeong-ho
Jung-hoon
정훈
Jeong-hun
Min-kyu
민규
Min-gyu
Seo-joon
서준
Seo-jun
Suk
석
Seok
Sung-ho
성호
Seong-ho
Sung-hoon
성훈
Seong-hun
Sung-jin
성진
Seong-jin
Sung-min
성민
Seong-min
Sung-soo
성수
Seong-su
Woo-jin
우진
U-jin
Young-gi
영기
Yeong-gi
Young-ho
영호
Yeong-ho
Spelling variants of masculine Korean names, each with its own Behind the Name entry. The meaning follows the hanja the family chooses, as in the main spelling.
Which spelling should you use? Think about who will read it most. Ji-hoon and Seo-joon show English speakers the long vowel, while Ji-hun and Seo-jun match the official romanization. Either is fine as long as you are consistent.
How to Choose a Korean Name for Your Son: A Practical Checklist
Whether you have Korean family roots or simply love the sound of a name, a few steps make the choice easier. These are suggestions, not rules.
Start with family: ask Korean relatives whether the family uses a generation syllable, and which hanja the family prefers. A grandparent may already have characters in mind.
Choose the hanja on purpose: look up each character, not just the sound, and ask a fluent reader to check the combination. Some glosses can surprise you.
Decide on hangul and romanization together: write the hangul, then pick one Latin spelling (Seo-jun, Seojun or Seo-joon) and keep it on the birth certificate, passport and school forms.
Plan the paperwork: U.S. forms do not always carry hangul, hanja or special characters, so keep a family record of the Korean spelling and the characters you chose.
Think about the middle slot: Korean given names do not use middle names, but outside Korea you can pair an English first name with a Korean middle name, or the reverse. Our middle names guide can help you test the combinations.
Say it out loud: say the full name with your surname, check the initials and listen to how relatives and friends will pronounce it.
Think about siblings: if you plan more children, a shared syllable is a lovely way to echo the generation-name tradition.
None of these names is in the U.S. top 10. For boys born in 2025, the Social Security Administration lists Liam, Noah, Oliver, Theodore, Henry, James, Elijah, Mateo, William and Lucas. For a broader list across many origins, see our baby boy names guide.
A Calmer First Year Starts With Sleep
Once the name is chosen, the next big project is rest for the whole family. Our baby sleep schedule by age guide shows what sleep usually looks like month by month, and Betteroo’s free sleep quiz can suggest a plan that fits your baby.
The best Korean boy names are chosen twice: once for the sound and once for the hanja. Shortlist a few names you love, look at the characters each entry suggests, and remember that every meaning here is one example among several. Then check the characters with someone fluent, pick one romanized spelling and use it everywhere.
If a name you love is listed for boys and girls, look in our Korean girl names guide, and for more names from around the world, browse our unique boy names list.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good Korean boy name?
Good choices depend on the meaning you want. Min-jun, Seo-jun and Ye-jun can be written with the character for talented, Geon-u can begin with the character for build, and Do-yun can begin with the character for path. Pick the hanja with care, because the same sound can be written with different characters and different meanings.
What are some unique Korean boy names?
Names that may sound less familiar to English speakers include Dong-geun, Sang-hun, Yeong-cheol, Jong-su, Yeong-gi and the single-syllable Hwan. That is an impression rather than a statistic. You can also make a name distinctive through its hanja, since one pronunciation can be written with many different characters.
What is a common Korean boy name?
Names such as Min-jun, Seo-jun, Ha-jun, Do-yun, Ji-hun and Jun-ho are well known examples of Korean boy names. Most share the usual pattern of two syllables, each tied to a hanja character. We do not rank them, because we did not read an official Korean statistic on name frequency for this guide.
What are some cute Korean boy names?
Cute is a matter of taste, but short, soft sounding names are a good place to look: Jun-u, Jin-u, U-jin, Min-ho and Hwan. Jin-u can end with the character for friend, and Hwan can be written with the character meaning shining, brilliant, lustrous. Other characters with the same sound are possible.
Why do Korean names have hyphens?
South Korea’s official romanization rules say syllables in a given name are written without a hyphen as a rule, but a hyphen between syllables is allowed. A hyphen shows where each syllable begins. Seo-jun and Seojun are both correct, so choose one and use it consistently.
Do Korean people have middle names?
Not in the Western sense. A full Korean name is a surname followed by a given name, and the given name, usually two syllables, is treated as one unit. Families outside Korea can use a Korean given name as a middle name alongside an English first name, or the other way around.
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