“What would my Korean name be?” usually means one of two things. Some people want their own name written in Hangul, the Korean alphabet, so “Emma” becomes 엠마. Others want an actual Korean name, the kind a Korean family might give a child, with a family name, a two-syllable given name and a meaning behind it.
Both are easy to get once you know which one you’re after. The Moon Rabbit’s notes below cover both, and how Korean families still choose names by looking at a child’s saju.
Option 1: your own name, written in Korean
Writing your name in Hangul is transliteration: you keep your name and spell its sound with Korean letters. Some common examples:
| Name | In Hangul | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Emma | 엠마 | em-ma |
| Sarah | 사라 | sa-ra |
| Michael | 마이클 | ma-i-keul |
| David | 데이비드 | de-i-bi-deu |
| Olivia | 올리비아 | ol-li-bi-a |
Korean syllables usually end in a vowel or one of a few consonants, so English names often gain an extra “eu” sound, as in 마이클. It’s how your name would look on a Korean coffee cup or a K-pop fan sign. It isn’t a Korean name, though, and Koreans will read it as a foreign one.
Option 2: a real Korean name
A typical Korean name has three syllables: a one-syllable family name followed by a two-syllable given name, like Kim Ji-woo (김지우) or Park Seo-yeon (박서연). Each syllable is usually tied to a hanja, a Chinese character, which gives the name its meaning.
Family name. Korea has relatively few surnames, and a handful cover a large share of the country. About one in five Koreans is a Kim, and Lee and Park follow. If you’d like your Korean name to echo your real one, pick a Korean surname that sounds close: Lee for Lee or Leigh, Han for Hanna, Yoon for Young, Kang for King or Kang.
Given name. Two syllables, often chosen for meaning and sound together. Popular syllables include 지 (ji), 서 (seo), 하 (ha), 윤 (yun), 민 (min) and 준 (jun). Some families share a generation syllable between siblings or cousins.
Hanja. The same Hangul syllable can stand for many hanja. 지 might be 智 (wisdom), 志 (will) or 知 (knowing), and the hanja is what gives the name its meaning on paper. The Korean name hanja meanings post goes deeper.
Romanization. South Korea’s official system since 2000 is Revised Romanization, which writes 지우 as Ji-u, though many people still use their own spelling, like Ji-woo.
The saju way: a name chosen from your birthday
Many Korean parents still visit a naming specialist, or use a naming app, to pick hanja that suit the baby’s saju. The idea is simple:
- Count the five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, water) across the eight characters of the birth chart.
- Find the elements the chart could use more of, often the ones it’s missing or low on.
- Pick name syllables whose hanja carry those elements, traditionally through their radical. Water names might use characters with 氵, for instance.
It’s a cultural custom, not a way to change anyone’s fate, and that’s how we treat it. It does make a name feel personal rather than random, and it’s a nice story to tell when someone asks what your Korean name means.
How to get yours for free
SajuBunny’s Korean name generator does the saju way for you:
- Enter your birthday. Birth time helps a little but is optional.
- Add your family name if you like, and pick a feel: feminine, masculine or neutral. Your surname is matched to a Korean family name that sounds close.
- You get a Korean name in Hangul, its hanja with meanings, the elements it balances, and how to say it.
The first name is free, with no account. For 1 Tteok, the site’s credits, you get three more names to compare and a calligraphy name card. You can see a sample name reading first.
Which one should you use?
- For a fan sign, a cup or a username: your name in Hangul is fine.
- For a Korean class, a pen name or a keepsake: a real Korean name, ideally with hanja you like.
- For a legal name change in Korea: that’s a formal process with its own rules. Any generator, ours included, is for fun and inspiration.
FAQ
What would my Korean name be?
If you mean your own name in Hangul, it’s a transliteration, such as Emma → 엠마. If you mean a Korean name, it’s usually a Korean surname plus a two-syllable given name with hanja. A free generator can suggest one from your birthday.
How are Korean names chosen?
Families choose a family name by birth and a two-syllable given name by meaning, sound and sometimes a shared generation syllable. Many still pick hanja that balance the baby’s five elements in saju.
Can I keep my own family name?
Yes. Many people match their surname to a Korean one that sounds close, such as Lee, Han or Kang, and keep a Korean given name. The SajuBunny generator does that matching for you if you enter your family name.
Is the Korean name generator free?
Your first name suggestion is free and needs no account. Three more names and a calligraphy name card cost 1 Tteok.