85 Cute Korean Names for Boys (with Meanings)

Korean names are rising in popularity not only based on meaning and uniqueness but their significance in pop culture.

When naming children in Korea, the practices have greatly changed over the years. Korean names are rising in popularity because of the explosion of K-Pop and K-Dramas. Many parents are opting for more modern Korean baby names for boys and girls. Let’s learn more about Korean culture and the different baby name choices parents have when choosing a Korean name for their son.

Cute Korean Names for Boys (with Meanings)

Below are Korean boy names that are popular, unique, single-syllable names, and combinations. There are plenty of options to choose from for your little one. We’ve included the name meaning in English for these Korean male names to help you choose.

Korean Names for Boys that Start with A to D

A Jin - This name means “truth” in Korean.
A Yeon - This Korean boy’s name means “beautiful” or “lovely.”
Baek - This is a Korean family name that means "white."
Beom-Seok - This masculine Korean boy's name means "pattern like a rock."
Bitgaram - This male Korean name means “light river.”
Bong - The Korean boy's name Bong means a “mythical bird.”
Boseong - This name is shared with the capital of tea farming in South Korea.
Byeong - This name comes from From Sino-Korean and means"bright, luminous, glorious."
Chin-Hae - A boy’s name that means “truth.”
Chin-Hwa - This name means "the most wealthy."
Chin-Mae - This is a popular Korean name that means "truth."
Cho - This name means "beautiful" in Korean and "butterfly" in Japanese.
Chul - This is a boy's name that means "firm."
Chung-Hee - This is a unisex name that is more often used for boys and it means "righteous."
Dae - Many parents use this as a single-syllable name or in combination with another name. Dae means "greatness."
Dae-Hyun - This name means "great and honor."
Dae-Jung - This name means "vast" in Korean. Kim Dae-Jung is a former president of South Korea that has received a Nobel Peace Prize.
Dak-Ho - This is a unique Korean baby name that means "deep lake."
Deok-Su - The spelling of this name differs based on the Hanja used to write it, but it typically means "defend morality."
Do-Yun - This boy's name means "path and consent" in Sino-Korean.
Dong - This name is Korean for "east."
Duri - This is an indigenous single Korean name that means "two."

Korean Names for Boys that Start with E to J

Eun - This is a Korean name that can be used as a standalone name or part of a two-syllable name. It means "kindness, mercy, charity"
Ga-Eul - This is the Korean name for "autumn."
Ga-Ram - This is the Korean name for "river."
Geon - Depending on the Hanja used, this name can mean "to construct" or even "respect. There are several meanings for this name.
Gyeong - In Sino-Korean, this name means "scenery" or "capital city."
Ha-Joon - "Ha" means "grand" and "Joon" means "talented."
Hae - This is a gender-neutral name that means "ocean."
Han - This is a Korean surname with a Romanized spelling. It means "leader."
Haneul - This is a unisex Korean name that means "heaven."
Him-Chan - This is a Korean name for "powerful, vigorous, and energetic."
Hoon - This name can have several meanings depending on which Hanja it is written with. This includes "to teach" and 'blaze."
Hwan - This is a popular Korean surname that means "to shine."
Hye - This name means "wisdom" and is shared with one of the last rulers of the kingdom Baekje, named King Hye.
Hyeon - This name means "virtuous" and is gender-neutral.
Hyun - Meaning "worthy" in Korean, it is shared with science fiction author Joh Hyun.
Il-Sung - Kim Il-Sung founded North Korea. This name means "completed day."
In-Su - These one-syllable names mean "humanity" and "outstanding" in Sino-Korean.
Jang - This is the Romanized spelling of a Korean surname that means "archer."
Jeong - This is an indigenous single Korean name that means "quiet, still, and gentle."
Ji-Yu - This name means "abundant wisdom."
Jimin - The name Jimin means “My wisdom will be higher than the sky.” This Korean name is trending lately due to Park Jimin, a member of the globally popular KPop group, BTS.
Jin - This is a popular Korean boy's name that means "truth" but in Japanese, it means "tenderness" and is gender-neutral.
Joon - This name is given to boys who are "exceptionally talented."
Jun-Seo - There are several meanings for this name because of the different Hanja that can be used. It can mean "auspicious" and "easy" as an example.
Jung - This is a less popular Korean name these days, but it can still make a comeback. It means "virtuous."
Jung-Hoon - This is a South Korean given name that means "proper rank" and "right deed."

Korean Names for Boys that Start with K to P

Kang-Dae - This boy's name means "big and powerful."
Ki - This masculine Korean boy name means "strong" or "vigorous."
Kwan - This name means "strong."
Kwang - This is an approved given name for boys that means "wild."
Kyong - This is a very popular boy name that means "brightness" in Korean.
Kyu - The meaning of this name differs based on the Hanja used. It can mean "model" or "spirituality."
Kyung- A gender-neutral Korean name that means “honor and respect.”
Min-Jun - This is a popular Korean boy name that means "clever and talented."
Moon-Sik - This boy's name means "moon" and "to plant something."
Myung - The Hanja used for this name gives this name the meaning "brilliance."
Nam-Gi - This name means "south" and "rise."
Nam-Kyu - This is a unisex name that means "south" and "standard."
Oh-Seong - The most well-known Hanja combination for this Sino-Korean name is "five" and "star."
Pu-Reum - This name means "blue-green" and "fresh."

Korean Names for Boys that Start with S to Z

Sang-Hoon - This name translates to “Still deserving of high rank.”
Seong - Written with a singular Hanja, this name means "succeed."
Seul-Ki - This Korean name is gender-neutral and it means "wisdom."
Seung - Depending on the Hanja, this name means "rise," "excel," or "inherit."
Shik - This name means "planting."
Si-Woo - This is a popular name in South Korea and it means "begin protection."
Sung - This is an alternate spelling for "Sung" and it means "to succeed."
Tae - This is a rare Korean name with only one Hanja that means "great."
Tae-Hyun - This is a unisex name that means "great" and "honor."
U-Jin - This name means "blessing."
U-Ri - This means "we" or "our" in Korean.
Won-Chul - The meaning of this name changes depending on the Hanja used but the most common means "wise" or "sage."
Woo - This name means "universe."
Ye-Jun - This name means "talented."
Yeong - This is a unique Korean surname that means "brave hero."
Yong - This is a unisex name that means "the perpetual brave one."
Yoo - This is a Korean surname that is taken from the Chinese language.
Yoon - This is a family name in Korea that means "allow or consent."
Young-Ho - This name means "prosperity, eternal, and superiority” in Sino-Korean.
Young-Jae - This Korean male name means "ever prosperous."
Young-Soo - This unisex name means "prosperity" and "excellence."
Yul - A Mongolian name popular in Korea, this name means "beyond the horizon
Yun-Seo - This name means "allow."

Naming Traditions in Korea and Korean Name Trends

An older tradition in Korean culture that isn't used as often today when choosing Korean names is hiring a professional to choose the name of your baby or leaving it up to the child's grandfather. Many people still use a professional but it is becoming less and less common.

Korea has two main systems of writing. The Korean alphabet system is mainly made up of Hangul letters. However, many Koreans also use Hanja. Hanja is made up of Chinese characters read with Korean pronunciation. South Korean-given names are usually written using Hanja, but this is no longer the case in North Korea. The "Hanja" chosen must be included in a very restricted list. If not, it must be approved by the family registry.

Hanja is based on Chinese characters and often names were ultimately selected based on the Chinese zodiac. However, the actual naming process is similar to choosing a girl's name. The family name, followed by a given name, used to be the typical structure. The given name was chosen based on its meaning. Many parents nowadays are veering away from using the surname as part of their name and opting for a single-syllable name instead. Of course, this varies on preference.

How Korean Names Are Written

1. The Korean family name or surname in Korea is the first syllable.

2. The generational name in Korea is typically the second syllable. Generational names are the father’s or head of the family’s name and is shared by all members of the same generation of an extended family in South Korea.

3. The third syllable in a Korean name is the first name or the unique name and is chosen by the child’s parents.

For more baby boy name inspiration check out these popular baby name lists:

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