The short answer: a Korean name that fits you has three parts, and you can choose each one on purpose. First, a one-syllable family name that sounds close to yours (Kim, Lee, Park and friends). Second, a two-syllable given name where each syllable is a hanja (한자 漢字, a Chinese character) with a meaning you like. Third, if you want to do it the way many Korean families still do, hanja whose five-element energy balances your saju (사주 四柱), the Korean birth chart. A “Korean name generator” that only turns your English name into Korean letters skips all three.
That’s why names like “Je-ni-peo” (Jennifer in Hangul) never sound Korean. They’re transliterations, not names. Below are the three ways Koreans actually choose, so you can pick the one that fits how much you care about meaning.
Why transliteration isn’t a Korean name
Hangul can spell almost any sound, so it’s tempting to write “Michael” as 마이클 and call it done. Koreans do exactly this for foreign names, and it’s correct. But it isn’t a Korean name. Korean given names almost always have two syllables, each with its own meaning, and they sit after a short surname. 마이클 has three syllables, no surname and no meaning.
A quick comparison:
| Approach | Example for “Michael Smith” | Sounds Korean? | Has meaning? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transliteration | 마이클 스미스 (Ma-i-keul Seu-mi-seu) | No | No |
| Sound match | 심 민수 Sim Min-su | Yes | Only if you pick the hanja |
| Meaning first | 심 지호 Sim Ji-ho (智昊, “wisdom” + “vast sky”) | Yes | Yes |
| Saju-based | hanja chosen for the elements your chart has less of | Yes | Yes, plus a story |
Notice that the surname comes first in Korean order. Sim Min-su, not Min-su Sim.
Way 1: start from your surname
Koreans introduce themselves surname first, and the surname is the easiest piece to settle. Around 300 surnames cover almost the whole country, and the top few (Kim 김 金, Lee 이 李, Park 박 朴, Choi 최 崔, Jeong 정 鄭) cover about half of it. So the custom for foreigners is simple: pick the Korean surname that sounds closest to yours.
Some sound matches are obvious. Lee, Li, Yee and Rhee all become 이. Chang and Zhang become 장 張. Others take a small leap: Smith often becomes 심 沈 (Sim), Han or Hahn is already 한 韓, Moore might become 문 文 (Mun), and Oh, O or Wu become 오 吳.
If nothing matches, people usually just take Kim. Nobody will blink. One in five Koreans is a Kim.
A note on hanja for surnames: each Korean surname has a fixed hanja, often several (there are many 이 clans with different characters). For a keepsake name, the most common one is fine.
Way 2: pick two hanja by meaning
Now the part that makes a name feel like yours. Most Korean given names are two syllables, and most syllables come from hanja. The sound 민 min, for example, can be written 敏 (“quick-witted”), 旻 (“autumn sky”), 珉 (“jade-like stone”) or 旼 (“gentle and harmonious”). Same sound, four different names. That’s why a Korean will ask “what hanja?” when you tell them your name.
To choose this way:
- List meanings you’d want to carry. Brightness, calm, a tree, a river, kindness, a particular season.
- Find syllables that carry them. 하 河 is “river,” 서 瑞 is “auspicious,” 준 俊 is “talented,” 연 妍 is “lovely,” 우 宇 is “universe.” South Korea keeps an official list of hanja allowed in names (more than 9,300 characters after the 2024 expansion), and the good ones are all on it.
- Pair them and say them aloud with your surname. Kim Ha-seo. Lee Jun-u. Park Yeon-u. Some pairs are smooth, some are awkward, and a few accidentally spell a word (김치 is a surname plus a syllable, and a bad idea).
- Check it against real names. If a Korean friend says “oh, that’s a real name,” you’re done. SajuBunny does this check too: suggestions that match names Koreans actually use get marked as such.
Two syllables that both mean “bright” is fine; two that are both abstract virtues can sound like a motto. Mixing one image (sky, pine, pearl) with one quality (wise, gentle, sincere) usually sounds most natural.
Way 3: choose by your saju elements
This is the traditional method, and it’s still common in Korea today. When a baby is born, many families take the birth date and time to a namer (작명가 jakmyeongga) or an elder who reads saju. The chart is converted into eight characters, and each character belongs to one of the five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. Almost every chart has more of some elements and less of others.
The namer then picks hanja that carry the quieter elements, using a system called jawon ohaeng (자원오행 字源五行), the “resource element” of a character. It comes from the radical, the building block inside the character:
| Element | Typical radicals | Example syllables |
|---|---|---|
| Wood | 木 tree, 艸 grass, 禾 grain | 松 song (pine), 芝 ji (lingzhi), 秀 su (outstanding) |
| Fire | 火 fire, 日 sun, 心 heart | 燦 chan (radiant), 昊 ho (vast sky), 慧 hye (wisdom) |
| Earth | 土 earth, 山 mountain, 女 woman | 基 gi (foundation), 峻 jun (lofty), 妍 yeon (lovely) |
| Metal | 金 metal, 玉 jade, 言 speech | 銀 eun (silver), 瑞 seo (auspicious), 誠 seong (sincerity) |
| Water | 水 water, 雨 rain | 河 ha (river), 潤 yun (enriching), 雪 seol (snow) |
A chart heavy in fire and earth might get a name with 潤 yun (water) and 瑞 seo (metal). A chart with almost no wood might get 松 song or 秀 su. Every time someone says the name, the tradition goes, a little of that element is called back in.
Is this literally true? No. Your chart doesn’t change because of your name, and SajuBunny says so plainly. But it is a lovely way to choose: the name becomes a small story about balance, and the story is yours.
On the site, the Korean name page does this in the same order a namer would. It counts the five elements in your eight characters, finds the ones that would steady the chart (often the ones you have less of), then picks syllables whose radicals carry them. It also matches your surname by sound and shows Hangul, hanja, meanings and romanization. Birth time is optional.
Putting the three together
You don’t have to pick one method. Most Korean names are all three at once: a surname by family, hanja by meaning, elements by the chart. A realistic recipe for a foreigner:
- Surname by sound (five minutes).
- One syllable you love for its meaning, from the table above or any hanja dictionary.
- One syllable chosen for your chart, if you’ve looked at your saju and know which element is quiet.
- Say it out loud with the surname, in Korean order. Ask a Korean speaker whether it sounds like a person or like a brand of rice cooker.
And one habit worth copying from Koreans: hold the name lightly. A Korean name for a foreigner is a nickname with a story. It’s for a language class, a pen name, a K-pop fan handle, or a trip to Seoul. It is not a legal identity and not a fortune. Enjoy it at that size.
FAQ
What’s the difference between a Korean name generator and a transliteration?
A transliteration spells your existing name in Hangul (Michael becomes 마이클). It’s correct for documents but doesn’t sound like a Korean name. A Korean name generator worth using gives you a one-syllable surname plus a two-syllable given name, each syllable with a hanja meaning, in Korean order. The better ones also check that the result is a name Koreans actually use.
Do I need my birth time to get a saju-based Korean name?
No. The element balance comes mostly from your birth date, which gives six of the eight characters. Birth time adds the last two and sharpens the count a little. Namers in Korea prefer the time, but a name chosen from the date alone follows the same method and is still a proper saju-style name.
Can I just choose a Korean name I like from a K-drama?
Yes, and plenty of people do. The only catch is that a character’s name often carries a specific hanja, and the drama rarely tells you which. If you like the sound, pick your own hanja for it so the name has a meaning you chose. If a Korean friend recognizes it as a famous character’s name, expect a smile.
Is it rude for a foreigner to use a Korean name?
Not at all. Korean teachers routinely give students Korean names, exchange students pick them, and many Koreans find it charming when a visitor has one. The polite move is the same as anywhere: choose a name that’s a real name, not a joke or a brand, and don’t claim a clan or family history that isn’t yours.
Try it with the Moon Rabbit
Enter your birthday on the Korean name page and the Moon Rabbit suggests a name with hanja, meanings and pronunciation, chosen for the elements your chart has less of. The first one is free.