Korean girl names such as Seo-yeon, Ha-eun, Seo-a, Ji-a and Iseul are usually two syllables, and for most of them the meaning depends on the hanja (Chinese characters) a family chooses to write the name.
Familiar Korean girl names include Seo-yeon, Ha-eun, Su-a, Chae-won and Ye-eun, along with native Korean names such as Bora (purple), Nari (lily) and Haneul (heaven, sky). Most Korean given names are two Sino-Korean syllables, the same sound can be written with different hanja, and the meaning depends on the hanja chosen.
Below you will find modern names, native names, names that mean beautiful or wise, classic names from earlier generations and unisex names, each with its hangul and example hanja from its Behind the Name entry. We also explain how Korean names work and how to spell them in English.
Key Takeaways
A Sino-Korean name’s meaning depends on the hanja used to write it, and one sound can be written with many characters.
Native Korean names such as Bora, Iseul, Nari and Haneul are written in hangul only and have a fixed Korean meaning.
All 135 names here were checked against their own Behind the Name entries for gender, usage, hangul and hanja.
In Korean order the surname comes first, and the given name is usually two syllables.
Many names have more than one English spelling, such as Ji-u and Ji-woo, so choose one and use it everywhere.
Table of Contents
Korean Girl Names at a Glance
Quick Answer
Korean girl names to start with: Seo-yeon, Ha-eun, Seo-a, Su-a, Ji-a, Chae-won, Da-eun and Ye-eun; native Korean names such as Bora (purple), Iseul (dew) and Nari (lily); and names listed for girls and boys such as Ji-u, Ha-yun, Ji-min and Haneul (heaven, sky). Most Korean given names are two syllables built from hanja (Chinese characters), so a name’s meaning depends on the characters a family chooses.
Every name on this page has its own Behind the Name entry with Korean usage and a feminine, or feminine and masculine, gender. We looked up each entry in October 2026. The hangul, the example hanja and the glosses in quotation marks are the ones each entry gives.
Read each meaning as “one common way to write it”, not the only meaning. Seo-yeon shows how this works. Its entry gives 瑞娟 and 瑞妍: 瑞 means “felicitous omen, auspicious”, and both 娟 and 妍 mean “beautiful”. The entry then adds that many other hanja combinations can form the same name. Two girls named Seo-yeon can carry two different written meanings.
This guide has 135 names in all: 100 main entries in the tables, plus 35 common alternate spellings that Behind the Name lists as entries of their own. For names from many cultures, see our baby girl names list, and if you are weighing names for a son as well, see our Korean boy names guide.
How Korean Names Work: Hangul, Hanja and Name Order
Most lists skip this part, but it explains why the same name can mean different things.
Surname first: Behind the Name’s glossary entry on Korean names says a full name is a surname followed by a given name, and notes that Western publications do not always keep that order. Its examples use one-syllable surnames.
Two syllables, usually: the same glossary says traditional given names usually have two hanja, though some have one. Its separate entry on hanja says most Korean names are based on hanja, usually two of them.
Hangul and hanja: Korean is written today in the hangul alphabet. Hanja are the Chinese characters once used to write Korean, and a name may be written in both, especially on formal documents, per Behind the Name. The hanja are pronounced differently in Korean than in Chinese.
One sound, many characters: the syllable yeon can be written 娟, 妍 or 延, each with its own meaning, so you cannot tell a name’s meaning from its sound alone. Almost every entry on this page ends with a line saying other hanja combinations can form the name.
Native Korean names: some modern parents choose names from native Korean words that have no matching hanja, per Behind the Name. Bora, Iseul and Haneul are examples.
Generation syllables: many families once shared one syllable of the given name across a generation. A 2017 study in Korean Studies Quarterly, published by the Academy of Korean Studies, describes this hangnyeolja as a character chosen in advance by a family line to show generational rank, and says its use rose after the 1909 civil registration law and fell from the 1960s.
Spelling in English adds another layer. Korea’s National Institute of Korean Language says personal names are romanized with the family name first, then a space, then the given name, and that a hyphen between the syllables of a given name is allowed. That is why you will see both Seoyeon and Seo-yeon.
Popular Korean Girl Names: Familiar Modern Choices
These Korean girl names have a fresh, current feel and will be familiar to many Korean families. We are not ranking them: we did not read an official Korean birth ranking for this page, so treat “familiar” as general, not a statistic.
Name
Hangul
Example hanja
Meaning of those hanja
Seo-yeon
서연
瑞娟, 瑞妍
瑞 “felicitous omen, auspicious”, plus 娟 or 妍, both “beautiful”
Ha-eun
하은
夏恩, 夏銀
夏 “summer, great, grand”, plus 恩 “kindness, mercy, charity”
Seo-a
서아
瑞雅, 瑞娥
瑞 “felicitous omen, auspicious”, plus 雅 “elegant, graceful, refined” or 娥 “good, beautiful”
Su-a
수아
秀雅, 秀娥
秀 “luxuriant, beautiful, elegant, outstanding”, plus 雅 “elegant, graceful, refined” or 娥 “good, beautiful”
Ji-a
지아
智雅, 志娥, 智娥, 志雅
智 “wisdom, intellect” or 志 “will, purpose, ambition”, plus 雅 “elegant, graceful, refined” or 娥 “good, beautiful”
Chae-won
채원
采原, 彩原
采 “collect, gather, pluck” or 彩 “color”, plus 原 “source, origin, beginning”
Chae-yeong
채영
彩榮, 彩瑛
彩 “color”, plus 榮 “glory, honor” or 瑛 “jade”
Da-eun
다은
多恩, 多銀
多 “much, many”, plus 恩 “kindness, mercy, charity” or 銀 “silver”
Ye-eun
예은
睿恩, 叡恩, 睿銀, 叡銀
睿 or 叡 “shrewd, clever”, plus 恩 “kindness, mercy, charity” or 銀 “silver”
Ye-won
예원
藝媛, 睿媛, 藝元, 睿元
藝 “art, talent, craft” or 睿 “shrewd, clever”, plus 媛 “beautiful woman” or 元 “first, origin”
Eun-seo
은서
恩瑞, 銀瑞
恩 “kindness, mercy, charity” or 銀 “silver”, plus 瑞 “felicitous omen, auspicious”
Seo-yun
서윤
瑞潤
瑞 “felicitous omen, auspicious”, plus 潤 “soft, sleek”
So-yul
소율
素律
素 “plain, simple”, plus 律 “law”
Ji-yu
지유
智裕
智 “wisdom, intellect”, plus 裕 “abundant, rich, plentiful”
Min-ji
민지
敏智, 敏知
敏 “quick, clever, sharp”, plus 智 “wisdom, intellect” or 知 “know, perceive, comprehend”
So-hui
소희
昭希, 昭熙
昭 “bright, luminous”, plus 希 “hope, wish” or 熙 “bright, splendid”
Seo-hyeon
서현
瑞賢
瑞 “felicitous omen, auspicious”, plus 賢 “virtuous, worthy, able”
Ji-yun
지윤
志胤
志 “will, purpose, ambition”, plus 胤 “heir, successor”
Eun-a
은아
恩雅
恩 “kindness, mercy, charity”, plus 雅 “elegant, graceful, refined”
Familiar modern Korean girl names with example hanja. Meaning depends on the hanja chosen. One sound can be written with many different characters, so these are examples from each name’s Behind the Name entry, not the only ones.
A few syllables keep turning up. 瑞 (seo, “felicitous omen, auspicious”) opens Seo-yeon, Seo-a, Seo-yun and Seo-hyeon. 恩 (eun, “kindness, mercy, charity”) appears in Ha-eun, Da-eun, Ye-eun, Eun-seo and Eun-a. And 雅 (a, “elegant, graceful, refined”) closes Seo-a, Su-a, Ji-a and Eun-a. If you love one syllable, look at every name that shares it before you decide.
Several of these also have a second English spelling with its own entry: Seo-ah, Soo-ah, Seo-hyun, Ji-yoon, So-hee, Eun-ah and Chae-young. They are listed together in the spelling section below.
Pure Korean (Native) Girl Names
Native Korean names, sometimes called pure Korean names, come from everyday Korean words rather than hanja. They have a fixed meaning, because there are no characters to choose. Behind the Name lists these four as feminine.
Name
Hangul
Example hanja
Meaning
Bora
보라
None: a native Korean word
Means “purple” in Korean
Hana
하나
None: a native Korean word
Means “one” in Korean
Iseul
이슬
None: a native Korean word
Means “dew” in Korean
Nari
나리
None: a native Korean word
Means “lily” in Korean
Native Korean girl names. These are written in hangul only; the entries give no hanja.
Three more native names are listed for girls and boys and sit in the unisex section below: Haneul (“heaven, sky”), Seulgi (“wisdom, intelligence”) and Duri (“two” in the Gyeongsang dialect). Hana is a good example of why the usage label matters. Behind the Name has several separate Hana entries for different languages, and the Korean one means “one”.
If you like names drawn from nature, such as dew, sky and lily, our nature names guide has many more from other languages.
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Korean Girl Names That Mean Beautiful, Flower or Jewel
Many searches ask for Korean names that mean beautiful. In the entries, that meaning usually comes from a single character: 美 (mi, “beautiful”), 妍 (yeon, “beautiful”), 姬 (hui, “beauty”) or 婷 (jeong, “pretty, graceful”). The character 英 (yeong) is glossed “flower, petal, brave, hero”, so it can carry a floral meaning or a brave one.
Name
Hangul
Example hanja
Meaning of those hanja
Ji-yeon
지연
智妍, 志妍, 知妍
智 “wisdom, intellect” or 志 “will, purpose, ambition”, plus 妍 “beautiful”
Mi-gyeong
미경
美京, 美景
美 “beautiful”, plus 京 “capital city” or 景 “scenery, view”
Mi-yeong
미영
美英
美 “beautiful”, plus 英 “flower, petal, brave, hero”
Yu-mi
유미
有美
有 “have, possess”, plus 美 “beautiful”
Gyeong-hui
경희
敬姬
敬 “respect, honor”, plus 姬 “beauty”
Yeong-hui
영희
英姬, 英嬉, 泳姬
英 “flower, petal, brave, hero” or 泳 “dive, swim”, plus 姬 “beauty” or 嬉 “enjoy, play”
Eun-jeong
은정
恩廷, 恩婷, 慇婷
恩 “kindness, mercy, charity” or 慇 “careful, anxious, attentive”, plus 廷 “courtyard” or 婷 “pretty, graceful”
Eun-yeong
은영
恩英
恩 “kindness, mercy, charity”, plus 英 “flower, petal, brave, hero”
Hye-yeong
혜영
惠英
惠 “favor, benefit”, plus 英 “flower, petal, brave, hero”
Seon-yeong
선영
善英, 宣英
善 “good, virtuous” or 宣 “declare, announce”, plus 英 “flower, petal, brave, hero”
Eun-ju
은주
恩珠, 恩宙, 銀珠
恩 “kindness, mercy, charity” or 銀 “silver”, plus 珠 “jewel, pearl” or 宙 “sky, heaven”
Hyeon-ju
현주
賢珠
賢 “virtuous, worthy, able”, plus 珠 “jewel, pearl”
Korean girl names with hanja meaning beautiful, flower or jewel. Meaning depends on the hanja chosen. One sound can be written with many different characters, so these are examples from each name’s Behind the Name entry, not the only ones.
Remember that the beautiful meaning belongs to the characters, not the sound. Mi-gyeong written 美景 pairs “beautiful” with “scenery, view”, but another family could write the same name with different hanja. For names with this meaning from other languages, see our same-day guide to names that mean beautiful.
Korean Girl Names About Wisdom, Kindness and Virtue
Hanja for wisdom and good character turn up often in Korean names. The character 智 (ji, “wisdom, intellect”) alone opens Ji-hye, Ji-a, Ji-yu, Ji-yeon and Ji-yeong, as well as several unisex names.
Name
Hangul
Example hanja
Meaning of those hanja
Ji-hye
지혜
智慧
A Sino-Korean compound meaning “wisdom”: 智 “wisdom, intellect” plus 慧 “bright, intelligent”
Ji-eun
지은
枝恩, 知恩, 志恩
枝 “branch, limb”, 知 “know, perceive, comprehend” or 志 “will, purpose, ambition”, plus 恩 “kindness, mercy, charity”
Eun-ji
은지
恩智, 恩地
恩 “kindness, mercy, charity”, plus 智 “wisdom, intellect” or 地 “earth, soil, ground”
Hye-jin
혜진
慧珍, 惠珍
慧 “bright, intelligent” or 惠 “favor, benefit”, plus 珍 “precious, rare”
Hyeon-jeong
현정
賢廷, 炫貞
賢 “virtuous, worthy, able” or 炫 “shine, glitter”, plus 廷 “courtyard” or 貞 “virtuous, chaste, loyal”
Ji-yeong
지영
智英, 知榮
智 “wisdom, intellect” or 知 “know, perceive, comprehend”, plus 英 “flower, petal, brave, hero” or 榮 “glory, honor, flourish, prosper”
Eun-gyeong
은경
恩敬, 恩景, 銀景
恩 “kindness, mercy, charity” or 銀 “silver”, plus 敬 “respect, honor” or 景 “scenery, view”
Su-jin
수진
收眞, 壽珍
收 “gather, harvest” or 壽 “long life, lifespan”, plus 眞 “real, genuine” or 珍 “precious, rare”
Korean girl names with hanja about wisdom, kindness and virtue. Meaning depends on the hanja chosen. One sound can be written with many different characters, so these are examples from each name’s Behind the Name entry, not the only ones.
Ji-hye is the clearest example here. Behind the Name describes it as a Sino-Korean compound meaning “wisdom”, made of two characters that each carry part of that idea. The native name Seulgi, in the unisex table, has a similar meaning with no hanja at all.
Classic Korean Girl Names From Earlier Generations
Some Korean names feel tied to a particular era. Many classic feminine names end in 淑 (suk), which Behind the Name glosses “good, pure, virtuous, charming”.
Name
Hangul
Example hanja
Meaning of those hanja
Gyeong-ja
경자
慶子, 敬子
慶 “congratulate, celebrate” or 敬 “respect, honor”, plus 子 “child”
Suk-ja
숙자
淑子
淑 “good, pure, virtuous, charming”, plus 子 “child”
Yeong-ja
영자
英子
英 “flower, petal, brave, hero”, plus 子 “child”
Gyeong-suk
경숙
京淑
京 “capital city”, plus 淑
Yeong-suk
영숙
英淑
英 “flower, petal, brave, hero”, plus 淑
Myeong-suk
명숙
明淑
明 “bright, light, clear”, plus 淑
Mi-suk
미숙
美淑
美 “beautiful”, plus 淑
Hyeon-suk
현숙
賢淑
賢 “virtuous, worthy, able”, plus 淑
Jeong-suk
정숙
貞淑, 正淑
貞 “virtuous, chaste, loyal” or 正 “right, proper, correct”, plus 淑
Classic Korean girl names. 淑 (suk) means “good, pure, virtuous, charming”. Meaning depends on the hanja chosen. One sound can be written with many different characters, so these are examples from each name’s Behind the Name entry, not the only ones.
Names ending in 子 (ja, “child”) have a specific history. The Yeong-ja entry explains that 子 was a fashionable name suffix in Japan (read -ko in Japanese) and that feminine names with it were popular in Korea during the period of Japanese rule, from 1910 to 1945, then declined after liberation. Keep that context in mind if you are drawn to Gyeong-ja, Suk-ja or Yeong-ja: an older relative may have strong feelings about these names, in either direction.
Unisex Korean Names
Behind the Name lists each of these as both feminine and masculine, in the order shown. Many two-syllable Korean names are shared this way, so a name you love for a daughter may also be one you know from a boy.
Name
Gender listed
Hangul
Example hanja
Meaning of those hanja
Ji-u
Feminine and masculine
지우
芝雨, 志宇
芝 “lingzhi mushroom” or 志 “will, purpose, ambition”, plus 雨 “rain” or 宇 “house, universe”
Ha-yun
Feminine and masculine
하윤
昰昀
昰 “summer, name”, plus 昀 “sunlight”
Ji-min
Feminine and masculine
지민
志旼, 智敏, 志珉
志 “will, purpose, ambition” or 智 “wisdom, intellect”, plus 旼 “gentle, affable”, 敏 “quick, clever, sharp” or 珉 “jade, stone resembling jade”
Ji-su
Feminine and masculine
지수
志秀, 智秀
志 “will, purpose, ambition” or 智 “wisdom, intellect”, plus 秀 “luxuriant, beautiful”
Ji-won
Feminine and masculine
지원
智媛, 志媛, 智元
智 “wisdom, intellect” or 志 “will, purpose, ambition”, plus 媛 “beautiful woman” or 元 “first, origin”
Ji-an
Feminine and masculine
지안
志安, 智安
志 “will, purpose, ambition” or 智 “wisdom, intellect”, plus 安 “peace, quiet”
Ji-hyeon
Feminine and masculine
지현
智賢
智 “wisdom, intellect”, plus 賢 “virtuous, worthy, able”
Ji-ho
Masculine and feminine
지호
智鎬, 智昊
智 “wisdom, intellect”, plus 鎬 “stove, bright” or 昊 “summer, sky, heaven”
Ji-hu
Masculine and feminine
지후
智厚
智 “wisdom, intellect”, plus 厚 “thick”
Yu-jin
Feminine and masculine
유진
有珍, 裕珍
有 “have, possess” or 裕 “abundant”, plus 珍 “precious, rare”
Yun-seo
Feminine and masculine
윤서
尹序, 允序
尹 “govern” or 允 “allow, consent”, plus 序 “series, sequence”
Min-seo
Feminine and masculine
민서
民徐, 敏序
民 “people, citizens” or 敏 “quick, clever, sharp”, plus 徐 “slowly, calmly, composed, dignified” or 序 “series, sequence”
Su-bin
Feminine and masculine
수빈
秀斌
秀 “luxuriant, beautiful, elegant, outstanding”, plus 斌 “refined”
Su-hyeon
Feminine and masculine
수현
秀賢
秀 “luxuriant, beautiful, elegant, outstanding”, plus 賢 “virtuous, worthy, able”
Hyeon-seo
Feminine and masculine
현서
晛瑞, 賢瑞
晛 “sunlight” or 賢 “virtuous, worthy, able”, plus 瑞 “felicitous omen, auspicious”
Jeong-hui
Feminine and masculine
정희
正姬, 靜姬, 正熙
正 “right, proper, correct” or 靜 “quiet, still, gentle”, plus 姬 “beauty” or 熙 “bright, splendid, glorious”
Eun-u
Masculine and feminine
은우
恩宇, 恩祐
恩 “kindness, mercy, charity”, plus 宇 “house, universe” or 祐 “divine intervention, protection”
Yeon-u
Masculine and feminine
연우
妍祐, 延祐, 妍雨
妍 “beautiful” or 延 “stretch, prolong”, plus 祐 “divine intervention, protection” or 雨 “rain”
Si-u
Masculine and feminine
시우
始祐, 始雨
始 “begin, start”, plus 祐 “divine intervention, protection” or 雨 “rain”
Si-yun
Masculine and feminine
시윤
始潤, 始允
始 “begin, start”, plus 潤 “soft, sleek” or 允 “allow, consent”
Seo-jin
Masculine and feminine
서진
瑞鎭
瑞 “felicitous omen, auspicious”, plus 鎭 “town, marketplace”
Ju-won
Masculine and feminine
주원
周元, 周媛
周 “circumference”, plus 元 “first, origin” or 媛 “beautiful woman”
Jun-yeong
Masculine and feminine
준영
俊英
俊 “talented, handsome”, plus 英 “flower, petal, brave, hero”
Seon-u
Masculine and feminine
선우
善宇, 善佑, 宣佑
善 “good, virtuous” or 宣 “declare, announce”, plus 宇 “house, universe” or 佑 “help, protect, bliss”
Seong-won
Masculine and feminine
성원
成元, 成源
成 “completed, finished, succeeded”, plus 元 “first, origin” or 源 “source, origin”
Seong-hyeon
Masculine and feminine
성현
成鉉
成 “completed, finished, succeeded”, plus 鉉, which refers to a device used to lift a tripod cauldron
Seung-hyeon
Masculine and feminine
승현
承炫, 承鉉
承 “inherit”, plus 炫 “shine, glitter” or 鉉 (a device used to lift a tripod cauldron)
Yeong-jin
Masculine and feminine
영진
英眞, 英珍
英 “flower, petal, brave, hero”, plus 眞 “real, genuine” or 珍 “precious, rare”
Yeong-su
Masculine and feminine
영수
永壽
永 “perpetual, eternal”, plus 壽 “long life, lifespan”
Haneul
Feminine and masculine
하늘
None: a native Korean word
Means “heaven, sky” in Korean
Seulgi
Feminine and masculine
슬기
None: a native Korean word
Means “wisdom, intelligence” in Korean
Duri
Feminine and masculine
두리
None: a native Korean word
Means “two” in Korean (Gyeongsang dialect)
Two-syllable unisex Korean names. Meaning depends on the hanja chosen. One sound can be written with many different characters, so these are examples from each name’s Behind the Name entry, not the only ones.
Single-syllable names are less common. Most of these entries say the syllable usually appears combined with another character, though it is sometimes used as a stand-alone name. Three of them, Jun, Min and Yong, are listed for both Chinese and Korean usage.
Name
Gender listed
Hangul
Example hanja
Meaning of those hanja
Eun
Feminine and masculine
은
恩, 銀
恩 “kindness, mercy, charity” or 銀 “silver, money”
Gyeong
Masculine and feminine
경
京, 景, 敬
京 “capital city”, 景 “scenery, view” or 敬 “respect, honor”
Hyeon
Masculine and feminine
현
賢
賢 “virtuous, worthy, able”
Jae
Masculine and feminine
재
才, 財
才 “talent, ability” or 財 “wealth, riches”
Jeong
Feminine and masculine
정
靜, 貞
靜 “quiet, still, gentle” or 貞 “virtuous, chaste, loyal”
Ji
Masculine and feminine
지
智
智 “wisdom, intellect” (usage listed as Korean, rare)
Jun
Masculine and feminine
준
俊
俊 “talented, handsome” (usage listed as Chinese and Korean)
Min
Masculine and feminine
민
敏, 民
敏 “quick, clever, sharp” or 民 “people, citizens” (usage listed as Chinese and Korean)
Mun
Masculine and feminine
문
文
文 “writing”
Myeong
Masculine and feminine
명
明
明 “bright, light, clear”
Sang
Masculine and feminine
상
常
常 “common, frequent, regular”
Seon
Feminine and masculine
선
善, 宣
善 “good, virtuous” or 宣 “declare, announce”
Seong
Masculine and feminine
성
成
成 “completed, finished, succeeded”
Seung
Masculine and feminine
승
昇, 勝, 承
昇 “rise, ascend”, 勝 “victory” or 承 “inherit”
Yeong
Feminine and masculine
영
英
英 “flower, petal, brave, hero”
Yong
Masculine and feminine
용
勇
勇 “brave” (usage listed as Chinese and Korean)
One-syllable unisex Korean names and syllables. Meaning depends on the hanja chosen. One sound can be written with many different characters, so these are examples from each name’s Behind the Name entry, not the only ones.
Style is personal, so treat these groupings as our opinion. The meanings still come from the entries.
Unique and less heard outside Korea: Duri (“two”), So-yul (素律, “plain, simple” plus “law”), Ji-hu (智厚, “wisdom, intellect” plus “thick”), Seo-jin and Yeon-u. That is our impression, not a statistic.
Cute and short: Bora, Nari, Hana, Su-a and Ji-a. Two syllables, open vowels and no hard endings.
Nature and sky: Haneul (“heaven, sky”), Iseul (“dew”), Nari (“lily”), and Ji-u or Si-u when written with 雨, “rain”.
Sunlight and brightness: Ha-yun (昰昀, with 昀 “sunlight”), Hyeon-seo (with 晛 “sunlight”), So-hui (昭 “bright, luminous”) and Myeong (明 “bright, light, clear”).
Easy for English speakers: Hana, Bora, Min, Jae, Yu-jin, Ji-min and Su-bin are spelled roughly the way they sound to an English reader.
For unusual ideas from many languages, try our unique girl names list.
How to Spell Korean Girl Names in English
Korean names travel in English under more than one spelling. The same hangul can appear as Ji-u or Ji-woo, So-hui or So-hee, Seo-hyeon or Seo-hyun. Behind the Name treats many of these as alternate transcriptions with their own entries. Each spelling below writes the same hangul as the main entry next to it.
Spelling
Hangul
Same hangul as
Gender listed on that entry
Chae-young
채영
Chae-yeong
Feminine
Eun-ah
은아
Eun-a
Feminine
Eun-jung
은정
Eun-jeong
Feminine and masculine
Eun-kyung
은경
Eun-gyeong
Feminine
Eun-woo
은우
Eun-u
Masculine and feminine
Eun-young
은영
Eun-yeong
Feminine
Ha-yoon
하윤
Ha-yun
Feminine
Hye-young
혜영
Hye-yeong
Feminine
Hyun
현
Hyeon
Masculine and feminine
Hyun-joo
현주
Hyeon-ju
Feminine
Hyun-jung
현정
Hyeon-jeong
Feminine and masculine
Ji-hyun
지현
Ji-hyeon
Feminine and masculine
Ji-soo
지수
Ji-su
Feminine and masculine
Ji-woo
지우
Ji-u
Feminine and masculine
Ji-yoon
지윤
Ji-yun
Feminine
Ji-young
지영
Ji-yeong
Feminine
Joo-won
주원
Ju-won
Masculine and feminine
Jung-hee
정희
Jeong-hui
Feminine and masculine
Kyung
경
Gyeong
Masculine and feminine
Kyung-hee
경희
Gyeong-hui
Feminine
Mi-kyung
미경
Mi-gyeong
Feminine
Mi-young
미영
Mi-yeong
Feminine
Myung
명
Myeong
Masculine and feminine
Seo-ah
서아
Seo-a
Feminine
Seo-hyun
서현
Seo-hyeon
Feminine
Seulki
슬기
Seulgi
Feminine and masculine
Si-woo
시우
Si-u
Masculine and feminine
So-hee
소희
So-hui
Feminine
Soo-ah
수아
Su-a
Feminine
Soo-hyun
수현
Su-hyeon
Feminine and masculine
Soo-jin
수진
Su-jin
Feminine
Sun-woo
선우
Seon-u
Masculine and feminine
Sun-young
선영
Seon-yeong
Feminine
Yeon-woo
연우
Yeon-u
Masculine and feminine
Young-hee
영희
Yeong-hui
Feminine
Alternate English spellings of Korean girl and unisex names, each listed as its own Behind the Name entry.
Notice that the gender label can differ between spellings. Ha-yun is listed as feminine and masculine, while the Ha-yoon spelling is listed as feminine. Eun-jeong is feminine, while Eun-jung is feminine and masculine.
Pick one spelling and keep it: use the same romanization on the birth certificate, passport and school forms.
Decide on the hyphen: Seo-yeon, Seoyeon and Seo Yeon all appear in practice. Forms and computer systems in the U.S. do not always handle hyphens, spaces or hangul the way you expect, so check how the name looks on a test form before you settle.
Say it out loud: say the full name with your surname, then think about how a teacher reading it for the first time would pronounce it.
Check the hanja with family: if you plan to use hanja, ask a fluent relative to confirm the characters and their meaning before you print them on an announcement.
Consider the middle name slot: a Korean given name can work as a first or middle name in an English-speaking family. Our middle names guide has tips on flow and rhythm.
One recent rule change is worth knowing if your family is binational. Korea.net reported that the Supreme Court of Korea announced in June 2025 that a child with one Korean parent and one foreign parent can register a given name with no limit on the number of hangul characters; the earlier limit was five.
None of these names is in the U.S. top 10. For girls born in 2025, the Social Security Administration lists Olivia, Charlotte, Emma, Amelia, Sophia, Mia, Isabella, Evelyn, Sofia and Eliana. If you like names with a clear written meaning from another script, our Japanese girl names guide uses the same checked approach with kanji.
A Calmer First Year Starts With Sleep
Choosing a name is one of the first big decisions you make for your baby, and sleep is one of the next. When the name is settled, our newborn sleep schedule week by week can help you plan the early months, and Betteroo’s sleep quiz can suggest a routine that fits your baby.
The best Korean girl names are chosen twice: once for the sound and once for the characters. Shortlist a few sounds you love, look at the common hanja for each, and remember that every Sino-Korean meaning here is one example among several. If you prefer a fixed meaning, a native name such as Bora, Iseul, Nari or Haneul has one.
Then pick one English spelling, check it with family, and say it out loud a few times with your surname. If you are decorating as you decide, our nursery themes guide has calm ideas for the room.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some popular Korean girl names?
Familiar choices include Seo-yeon, Ha-eun, Seo-a, Su-a, Ji-a, Chae-won, Da-eun, Ye-eun and Eun-seo, plus names shared with boys such as Ji-u, Ha-yun and Ji-min. Each Sino-Korean name can be written with several sets of hanja, so its meaning depends on the characters a family chooses to use.
What Korean girl name means beautiful?
Names whose example hanja include a character meaning beautiful include Seo-yeon, Ji-yeon, Mi-yeong, Mi-gyeong and Yu-mi. The beautiful meaning comes from characters such as 美 or 妍, so it applies only when the name is written with those hanja. The same sound can be written with other characters too.
What are pure Korean girl names?
Pure or native Korean names come from Korean words rather than hanja, so their meaning is fixed. Examples listed as feminine include Bora (purple), Iseul (dew), Nari (lily) and Hana (one). Haneul (heaven, sky), Seulgi (wisdom, intelligence) and Duri (two) are native names listed for both girls and boys.
Why do Korean names have different meanings?
Most Korean given names are built from hanja, the Chinese characters once used to write Korean, and many hanja share a pronunciation. A family picks the characters, so one name can be written in several ways, each with its own meaning. Ji-u can be written with the character for rain or the one for house, universe.
Which comes first in a Korean name?
The surname comes first, followed by the given name, which is usually two syllables. Western publications sometimes reverse the order. When romanized, Korean guidance puts a space after the surname and allows a hyphen between the two syllables of the given name, so Seoyeon and Seo-yeon are both seen.
What are some unique Korean girl names?
Names English speakers hear less often include Duri, So-yul, Ji-hu, Seo-jin and Yeon-u, as well as native names such as Iseul and Nari. That is an impression, not a statistic. A name can also be made distinctive through its hanja, since one sound can be written with many characters.
Calmer days, better nights.
Betteroo builds a personalized sleep plan for your baby. Take the free two-minute quiz and have it ready before the newborn weeks.
