Kim
The origin of the surname Kim
Kim, borne by roughly a fifth of Koreans, is written with the hanja 金, “gold.”
How Korean surnames work
Korean surnames are few in number but shared by huge populations — Kim, Lee (Yi) and Park alone account for a large share of all Koreans. Each is written with a hanja (a Chinese-origin character) and is tied to a clan or lineage identified by an ancestral seat (bongwan). The surname comes first, before the given name, and Korean women traditionally keep their own surname after marriage.
Variants & spellings
- Gim
Frequently asked questions
What does the surname Kim mean?
The surname Kim means Gold (金). Kim, borne by roughly a fifth of Koreans, is written with the hanja 金, “gold.”
Where does the surname Kim come from?
Kim is a surname of Korean origin.
What kind of surname is Kim?
Kim is a clan name surname.
How common is the surname Kim in the United States?
Kim is the 109th most common surname in the United States (2010 U.S. Census), recorded for about 194,067 people.