Korean Girl Names: Meanings, Pronunciation & 60+ Beautiful Ideas

Looking for a Korean girl name that sounds beautiful, reads well in English, and carries a thoughtful meaning? This guide explains how Korean names work (Hangul, hanja, and romanization), how to pronounce them, and offers 60+ elegant ideas—ranging from timeless favorites to K‑pop–inspired and nature/virtue picks. Use the lists as inspiration; because most Korean given names are built from hanja (Chinese characters), the exact meaning depends on which hanja you choose for each syllable.

How Korean names work

• Structure: Family name first (e.g., Kim), then a two‑syllable given name (e.g., Seo‑yeon).

• Hangul vs. hanja: Names are written in Hangul (the Korean alphabet) but typically defined by hanja. The same sound can map to many hanja, so meanings vary.

• Romanization: South Korea’s official system is Revised Romanization (e.g., Seo‑yeon, not Suh‑yeon). Families may still choose familiar spellings (e.g., Yoona instead of Yun‑a). Both are acceptable on passports.

• Unisex: Many given names are unisex. Context (and the hanja chosen) often signals feminine vs. masculine intention.

Pronunciation & romanization cheat‑sheet

• eo (ㅓ) → like uh in sun → Seo‑yeon ≈ Suh‑yeon

• eu (ㅡ) → a tight eu sound (like saying uh with lips spread) → Eun‑seo

• ae (ㅐ) → like e in bed, slightly wider → Hae‑un

• e (ㅔ) → like e in bed → Se‑ah

• ui (의) → often eui (name-initial) or ee/e inside words → Eui‑jin

• Hyphens: Useful for clarity (Ji‑woo), but many people drop them (Jiwoo).

• Common variant spellings: Yu‑jin ↔ Yoojin; Yun‑a ↔ Yoona; Seo‑yeon ↔ Seoyeon.

60+ Korean girl names (with Hangul)

Meaning note: Because each syllable can be written with different hanja, meanings below are ideas/themes parents often target (e.g., wisdom, grace, lotus, star), not a single fixed translation.

A) Well‑loved & timeless (30)

1. Seo‑yeon (서연) – often read as felicity + grace/beauty

2. Seo‑yoon (서윤) – felicity + tender/allow

3. Ha‑yoon (하윤) – summer/river + tender/allow

4. Ha‑eun (하은) – summer/river + grace/kindness

5. Ji‑woo (지우) – wisdom/will + help/excellence/rain

6. Su‑a (수아) – excellence + beautiful/graceful

7. Seo‑a (서아) – felicity + elegant/beauty

8. Ji‑a (지아) – wisdom/will + elegance

9. Ye‑rin (예린) – art/grace + gemstone/jade

10. Ji‑eun (지은) – wisdom/will + kindness/silver

11. Ji‑hye (지혜) – knowledge + wisdom

12. Min‑seo (민서) – clever/quick + felicity

13. Min‑ji (민지) – clever/quick + wisdom

14. Chae‑won (채원) – gather/colour + origin/meadow

15. Chae‑yeon (채연) – gather/colour + grace/lotus

16. Hye‑jin (혜진) – bright/wise + precious

17. Hye‑won (혜원) – bright/wise + garden/origin

18. Na‑yeon (나연) – graceful + beautiful/lotus

19. Seul‑gi (슬기) – native Korean for wisdom

20. Yun‑a (윤아) – gentle + elegant (common: Yoona)

21. Yu‑jin (유진) – gentle/friendly + precious

22. Ye‑seo (예서) – art/grace + felicity

23. So‑yeon (소연) – charming + grace/lotus

24. So‑hee (소희) – charming + joy

25. So‑hyun (소현) – charming + virtuous/wise

26. Ji‑min (지민) – wisdom/will + clever/people

27. Yeon‑seo (연서) – lotus/connection + felicity

28. Eun‑seo (은서) – silver/grace + felicity

29. Su‑bin (수빈) – excellence + refined

30. Bo‑young (보영) – precious + flower/petal

B) Modern & K‑pop vibe (15)

1. Tae‑yeon (태연) – great/grand + calm

2. Seo‑hyun (서현) – felicity + virtuous/wise

3. Hyun‑a (현아) – worthy/virtuous + beautiful

4. Hyeri (혜리) – bright/wise + pretty

5. Sunmi (선미) – good/virtuous + beauty

6. Da‑hyun (다현) – many/much + virtuous/wise

7. Chae‑young (채영) – gather/colour + flourishing

8. Ji‑hyo (지효) – wisdom + filial/piety/effect

9. Eun‑bi (은비) – silver/grace + shine

10. Eun‑chae (은채) – silver/grace + colour/collection

11. Hae‑rin (해린) – sea/sun + jasmine/gem

12. Hye‑in (혜인) – bright/wise + benevolence

13. Mi‑yeon (미연) – beauty + grace/lotus

14. Ye‑ji (예지) – art/grace + insight/foresight

15. Hee‑jin (희진) – joy/bright + precious

C) Nature & virtue feel (pure Korean or evocative hanja) (15)

1. Areum (아름) – beauty (native Korean)

2. Sarang (사랑) – love (native Korean)

3. Haneul (하늘) – sky (native Korean)

4. Bom (봄) – spring (native Korean)

5. Gaeul (가을) – autumn (native Korean)

6. Yeoreum (여름) – summer (native Korean)

7. Bitna (빛나) – to shine (native Korean)

8. Bora (보라) – purple/violet (native Korean)

9. Byeol (별) – star (native Korean)

10. Eun‑ha (은하) – Milky Way (“silver river”)

11. Da‑som (다솜) – affection (native Korean)

12. Ji‑an (지안) – often chosen for “wise + peaceful”

13. Ji‑yoo (지유) – often chosen for “wise + abundance/freedom”

14. Da‑eun (다은) – often chosen for “many + grace”

15. Sae‑rom (새롬) – newness/freshness (native Korean)

Tip: If you want a fixed meaning (like star, love, sky), pick a native Korean word‑name (e.g., Sarang, Haneul). If you want flexible symbolic meanings, choose a hanja‑based name and select characters that match your values.

How to choose (simple 5‑step method)

1. Pick your theme: virtue (wisdom, grace), nature (sky, star), or sound-first.

2. Choose the Hangul sound: e.g., Ji‑an vs. Ji‑yoo—say them aloud with your surname.

3. Select the hanja: ask a Korean speaker or consult a hanja list to lock in meanings that fit your theme.

4. Decide the spelling: Seo‑yeon (official) vs. Seoyeon (compact) vs. Suh‑yeon (phonetic). Keep it consistent across documents.

5. Do practical checks: initials, possible nicknames, email handle, and mispronunciation risk in your region.