Most of them said they had been bullied or mistaken for someone else because of their names.
When ``hideous'' criminals, including serial killers and pedophiles, were caught, people who had the same names as theirs filed for revisions, which were mostly accepted.
A Korean-language article gives examples of such names: 강호순, 조두순, 김길태. Since names are collections of a limited number of syllables, you're bound to have a lot of repeats. Searching on Naver for instance turns up notable people who share those three names. I'd be interested to see how many Kim Kil-tae's there are, or at least how many changed their name after his crime.
The Chosun Ilbo translation has some more information:
Among the 162,246 people whose application was approved by the Supreme Court last year, Min-jun was the most popular name for men with 552 people, and Seo-yeon for women with 1,401. In the past, many people wanted to change names that sounded old-fashioned or unpleasant, but now an increasing number of people do so for superstitious reasons such as choosing names believed to bring prosperity.
. . .
According to data published by the National Court Administration, popular names have changed over time. The most popular names in 1948 were Young-su for men and Sun-ja for women. But in recent years, unisex names such as Ji-won and Hyeon-seo are being preferred.
I don't remember ever meeting a Sun-ja.
With "hideous criminals" in the news again I'm reminded of something I noticed last year, and have an opportunity to finally write a post about it. I taught at two middle schools in Suncheon, and between them had over 50 classes of about 35 students each. I saw each class once or twice a month---one class had a three-month gap between meetings---and if that didn't make it hard enough to learn names, I never got class rosters. I'm glad students were required to wear name tags, and I'm glad some homeroom teachers had seating charts taped to their desks (that doesn't do any good when classes are mixed up according to level).
Anyway, the point is I didn't know students' names, and didn't see class rosters until it was time to give speaking tests at the end of the semester. Groups of five students would join me at a table and I'd match their names with their student numbers. A few times I'd have the right number, and the right student, but a different name on the roster. Turns out some parents would change their students' names mid-semester.
I sent an email to the author of Ask A Korean! last March, and he responded that there are two possible explanations for changing a teenager's name:
Koreans generally believe that a good name is essential to good fortune, and some parents apparently realize that there is a better name out there. Two, the other way around -- sometimes the parents force a "good name" onto a child, only to realize later that the name sounds ridiculous and subjects the child to being teased at school.
I still remember the names of my favorite students, and there are some other names that stand out. There was a Kim Dae-jung, president of South Korea from 1998 to 2003. There was a Park Ji-sung, who shares the name of Korea's most famous soccer export. And my first year I taught a Han Guk-in (한국인), or "Korean." That's way more weird than having a guy named after the German word for German.
33 comments:
I always feared I'd teach so long that every possible english name would be associated with a little monster child. Like I noticed Brians and Harrys tended to be devil spawn. When I eventually had my own kids, ever possible name would result in a PTSD flash back. Me pounding on a desk. "Jenny SIT DOWN!" "Billy get that out of my ass!" "Sean stop trying to light the poster with the Japanese flag on fire!"
I seriously considered reaching the point where I'd just issue my kids serial numbers instead of names.
Oh, English names were never an option. I hate giving them and hate using them. (That's a post for another day, though). For me, with so many students I see so infrequently, English names would just mean another 1,600+ names I'd forget. Besides, Koreans (among others) tend to choose ridiculous ones, like the substitute English teacher I sort of worked with who wanted me to call her "Silver." No fucking way I'm calling a grown-ass woman Silver, what's your real name?
I got stuck with English names that my predecessor had given to the kids in my school. I don't care for it but the kids like it and if it keeps them on task I am happy. I always give them the option of changing it if I can understand what the name is. I have one boy who insists on being called Upgrade now. I totally get Konglish after only seven months here!
I've come across some pretty strange Englishee names in my time (all of which are from adults, by the way): Pikachu, Snoopy, Diary, Runner, Clinton, Potter, Danielle-Bella, and many more that I don't even recall. But the practice of changing your child's name to benefit their future fortune is common in a number of cultures. I used to work with a guy called Mohammed Ali, who had been given a slightly less awesome moniker at birth but had had it modified during a period of illness in the hope that it might help him fight his way back to health (and it did).
Also, at my high school, there were a number of Roman Gypsy kids, most of whom had been given names that reflected their culture's most highly regarded heroes, followed by the surname Smith or Lee (they were all called Smith or Lee). For example, we had an Elvis Presley Smith, and a Marilyn Monroe Smith, both of whom were quite understandably named for touchstones of Western culture, but then there were the more peculiar: A Steve Davis Smith, named for the dull British snooker champion, and an Alex Higgins Smith, named for his troubled Northern Irish counterpart. I don't think I need point out that these strange names, coupled with the fact that they lived in a caravan, did not make these students' school lives easy.
* Romany
I have mixed feelings about English names. On the one hand, it can get kids really excited about English because they like to have a choice and a spy name. It also is far easier for me to remember since I 'only' have 400 kids and Korean names tend to fall through my head like water. When I took Latin in high school my teacher gave us lists of traditional Latin names and I had a blast being Cytherea.
On the other hand, why should someone be forced to give up their name just to learn another language? I tend to make the English names optional. I ask if students have an English name from their hagwon already and if a student wants an English name, I have lists of common English names from them to choose from so I don't end up with Silver or Sponge Bob...
My wife changed her name just before we got married...from Soo-ja to Soo-jin. If I'm not mistaken "Ja" signifies something in Japanese that means "son," and so naming your daughter "ja" was something akin to saying "I wish this had been a son."
Needless to say I supported the change 100%. Her parents had actually named her "Jin," but good ol gramps decided to change himself when he went to register the name. No one ever called her "Ja" but it was her official name, so it was read when she started a new class at university or got her passport. My guess is that this is by far the most common reason for name changes in Korea.
My wife's mother is named Seon Ja (선자), and having seen our 호적등본, I can tell you the hanja for "Ja" is "子". I believe this is "ko" in Japanese (the same "ko" you'll hear in many Japanese women's names: Ryoko, Michiko, etc.)
She was born during the 일제시데, and I believe it was very common practice for women to have a '자' as part of their name then, whether by custom or perhaps by decree.
Brian: To be fair, Silver is the name of a character on "90210" as well. And it worked pretty well there.
(And I continue to lose man points for being a fan of "90210"...)
Actually, having read Aaron's comment, I'm reminded of some other Korean passport goofiness: I'm trying to get the people at my office to harmonize letterhead and email signature file formats, and wanted to get consistent Romanization of names as well (e.g,, I don't want three different guys named "이" to spell it Yi, Lee, and Rhee).
There's a guy named "손" who insists on spelling it "Shon". In the politest way I could, I suggested that he revise it to "Sohn". But get this: some fool in the passport office spelled it as "Shon", so he's stuck with it for his Romanized spelling. It drives him nuts.
I was born in BC in the 70s, so I went to school with Aqua, Aura, Silver, Micah, Misty Rainbow Cloud, Motion and River.
Ok-ja or Sun-ja are good Korean names, but don't expect to see them on many young people.
Silver Sable will probably coming to a movie screen soon as Marvel is starting to market some of their lesser-known characters. Personally, I can't wait for "Mayday" Parker to take over the web-slinging from dad, Peter.
By the way, I've noticed a few more Juniors in the U.S. having to change their names when they can't live up to Senior's reputation or can't live it down when they turn out to be criminals. I wonder if Dale Jr. ever wished that Dale Sr. had not given him the same name, especially since he is always being compared, and coming up severly lacking, to his father on the race track.
One of my Korean friend's names was changed twice when he was a child. Once again, it was a "luck" thing.
I always wondered if my former student named Yu Bum-suk ever changed his name later in life...
I knew 4 different Korean girls with names that translated as "God's gift" or "God's breath" or "God's blessing"... which reminded me strangely of some Haitian students I had in Canada, whose names also translated as "God's gift".
I wonder if Hangukin became a popular name about 20-25 years ago? I know 2 Hangukins, one is a gal, and one a guy.
@Steve Bee, Mohamed Ali the boxer actually changed his name from Cassius Clay to Mohamed Ali, after the Egyptian leader. I'm sure you probably already knew that, but, it sounds like the name Mohamed Ali, works well for both the guy you worked for and, for Cassius Clay, so I guess Mohamed Ali is a good name to change to.
Aside from that, I don't find it useful either to use English names for Korean kids, though it is advisable for people named You Suck. On the other hand though, Korean names in the first place are somewhat worthless when considering you can only use a Korean person's name if you are the same age as or older than the other person. (Also makes it very difficult to learn people's names.) I somewhat think that Koreans might actually become a little bit more friendly if they used eachothers' names rather than whatever title you have to associate with them.
The oddest "English" name I've come across here was Milk. the girl said she just liked the sound of it. The best was Sophia, the little owner was well aware that it meant goddess of wisdom.
The worst romanization I've seen was in the Korea Times (might have something to do with it) and it was attached to a Hanara politician, a certain Representative Chough. Figure that one out.
I knew a Milk, too, but she chose it because her best friend was Cookie (her given name was 구기).
Chough == 조
I don't teach kids, and really, their choice in names reflects their age.
It's the weird names chosen by some of my adult students that get me, back when I taught at an adult hakwon: President, Terrorist, Yummy, Chief, Coma, and Turkey come to mind (none were younger than 30).
I taught 은행 last year. Definately my favourite Korean name :) Oddest, English name Sunapee. No idea where she got that one from! Oh, and a kid named Green but it suited him because he only wore green
As every good Aerosmith fan knows, they were founded in Sunapee, New Hampshire.
Most kids seemed to like being able to choose their own English name. When do Korean kids get a "free" choice in something? When I think about how the Japanese tried to force Japanese names on Koreans, there's a certain touchiness.
My feeling is when they're older and go into business or study abroad, they will take an English name regardless. Left to their own devices you seem some real odd names like Winston, Melvin, Fanny, Snoop Dog, etc. To that point, making sure you help them choose a good, solid English name that won't sound old fashioned or bizarre isn't a bad thing.
Sometimes, I feared, it was the only good thing I could do for those kids.
I just remembered, I had a young man want to be called Giddy.
"Giddy? You mean like, happy and laughing?"
"No, Giddy Lee. The singer from Rush. Rush is Canada music."
Had to correct him on the name, of course, but still... Shocked the hell out of me that a Korean as young as he was even knew who Rush was.
Chough, that's rotten: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/09/116_11008.html
I had one girl and the convo went like this.
"My name is Mazzy."
"Mazzy?"
"No. Mazzy!"
"Mazzy?"
"Mazzy? No! Mazzy!"
Reminded me of that episode of Get Smart where Maxwell Smart keeps repeating back to the Chinese guy he has a "craw". "The craw? NO! The craw!"
Yeah so make sure kids not only have good English names that will carry them through their business/academic life but they can actually pronounce.
It could be worse, Brian - your parents could have named you Germaine. ^^
I once met a guy named 구번호 (number nine).
Then there was the family that had two little girls named 하나 and 한나. That surprised me, but they didn't have any trouble with it.
Salve Cytherea
Semper bona est videre alius amicus Latinae
-Ajax
Hopefully what I wrote with what little I remember from high school is all good and sound :)
I had an 이상한 once. Great name. My best friend Kyung-su changed his name from Ki-yeong because he claimed that it translated to "short life."
Personally, I've outlawed English nicknames in my class because Koreans take them too seriously. I've also found that using Korean names is better for discipline. Telling "Steve" to stop isn't as effective as asking Min-ho.
I taught a group of sisters once. I taught the oldest sister first. Then when her younger twin sisters came down, she named them Mel and Lody... Melody.
Speaking of changing names...
If I wanted to register a Korean name with the government (not change my name legally, just register a Korean 도장 for use with official documents and such)... where and how would one do this?
My wife has a friend named Sun-Ja. Ironically, she just changed her name last year.
I know a Korean woman here in the States who married an American doctor and respectively named each of her 5 children 1,2,3,4,5 in Korean; although she did give them regular American names, still awesome XD
I also feel some feelings toward this subject. My parents named me after a Christian character. That is fine but the underlying feeling I can never break out is the fact that it's an English name. And I am korean. I'm in America, but it makes me wonder if any Koreans in Korea shared this fate. As I am aware of what this name is and I am aware of other names as well.
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