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Korean Naming Customs: Difference between revisions
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*Current family names have their origin in the lineage system used in previous historical periods. Each clan is associated with a specific place, such as the Gimhae Kim. In most cases, such a clan traces its origin to a common patrilineal ancestor. | *Current family names have their origin in the lineage system used in previous historical periods. Each clan is associated with a specific place, such as the Gimhae Kim. In most cases, such a clan traces its origin to a common patrilineal ancestor. | ||
==Given Names== | ==Given Names== | ||
*Many Koreans have their given names made of a '''generational name syllable''' and an individually distinct syllable, though this practice is declining in the younger generations. The generational name syllable is shared by siblings in North Korea, and by all members of the same generation of an extended family in South Korea. | *Traditionally, given names are partly determined by generation names, a custom originating in China. Many Koreans have their given names made of a '''generational name syllable''' and an individually distinct syllable, though this practice is declining in the younger generations. The generational name syllable is shared by siblings in North Korea, and by all members of the same generation of an extended family in South Korea. | ||
*Given names are typically composed of '''hanja, or Chinese characters'''. In North Korea, the hanja are no longer used to write the names, but the meanings are still understood; thus, for example, the syllable cheol (철, 鐵) is used in boys' names and means "iron". | |||
*In South Korea, section 37 of the Family Registry Law requires that the hanja in personal names be taken from a '''restricted list.''' | |||
*While the traditional practice is still largely followed, since the late 1970s, some parents have given their children names that are '''native Korean words, usually of two syllables'''. Popular given names of this sort include Haneul (하늘; "Heaven" or "Sky"), Areum (아름; "Beauty"), Iseul (이슬; "Dew") and Seulgi (슬기; "Wisdom"). | |||
*Originally, there was no legal limitation on the length of names in South Korea. As a result, some people registered extremely long given names composed of native Korean words, such as the 16-syllable Haneulbyeollimgureumhaennimbodasarangseureouri (하늘별님구름햇님보다사랑스러우리; roughly, "More beloved than the stars in the sky and the sun in the clouds"). However, beginning in 1993, new regulations required that the given name be five syllables or shorter.[ | |||
[[Category:North_Korea]] | [[Category:North_Korea]] | ||
[[Category:South_Korea]] | [[Category:South_Korea]] | ||
[[Category:Personal Names]] | [[Category:Personal Names]] | ||