Question 1

How do I write my Korean name in English for a passport?

Accepted Answer

Korean passports use the format: SURNAME in uppercase, followed by a comma, then the given name with the first letter capitalized. For example, 김민준 becomes KIM, Min-jun. You choose one romanization and it stays on your passport permanently.

Question 2

Why is 이 romanized as 'Lee' instead of 'I' or 'Yi'?

Accepted Answer

While the Revised Romanization standard would spell it as 'I', the conventional passport spelling 'Lee' has been widely used for decades. Korean surnames follow traditional spellings rather than strict phonetic rules. Other common variants include Yi and Rhee.

Question 3

Can I change my romanized name on my Korean passport?

Accepted Answer

Generally, once you set your English name on a Korean passport, it cannot be changed easily. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs allows changes only in specific circumstances, such as obvious errors. Choose your romanization carefully before your first passport application.

Question 4

What is the difference between Revised Romanization and McCune-Reischauer?

Accepted Answer

Revised Romanization (RR) is the official system used by the South Korean government since 2000. McCune-Reischauer (MR) uses diacritical marks and was the previous standard. For example, 부산 is 'Busan' in RR but 'Pusan' in MR. Personal names on passports can use either system.

Question 5

Why are there so many ways to spell Korean surnames in English?

Accepted Answer

Korean surnames were romanized before any standard system existed, leading to multiple conventions. For example, 박 can be Park (most common), Pak, or Bak (Revised Romanization). Families often follow their own traditional spelling, passed down through generations.

Question 6

How should I romanize a two-syllable given name?

Accepted Answer

The recommended format is to hyphenate the two syllables with only the first letter capitalized: Min-jun, not Minjun or Min-Jun. This follows Korean passport conventions and helps non-Korean speakers pronounce the name correctly.

Question 7

Is 김 spelled 'Kim' or 'Gim' in English?

Accepted Answer

While the Revised Romanization standard spells it as 'Gim', the conventional and overwhelmingly common spelling is 'Kim'. Nearly all Korean people with this surname use 'Kim' on their passports and in international contexts.

Question 8

What about compound/two-character Korean surnames?

Accepted Answer

Some Korean surnames have two characters, such as 남궁 (Namgung), 독고 (Dokgo), 사공 (Sagong), and 제갈 (Jegal). These are treated as a single surname unit. There are about 10-15 such compound surnames in use today.

Question 9

How do consonant assimilation rules affect name romanization?

Accepted Answer

When a syllable-final consonant meets the next syllable's initial consonant, sound changes can occur (e.g., ㄴ+ㄹ→ㄹ+ㄹ). However, for personal names, these phonological rules are often ignored in favor of spelling each syllable independently for consistency.

Question 10

Can I use this tool to find the Korean spelling of an English Korean name?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Use the 'English → Korean' tab to enter a romanized Korean surname (like Kim, Lee, Park), and the tool will show you the possible Korean (한글) spellings. Note that reverse lookup works best for surnames, as given name romanization is more ambiguous.

Question 11

What is the most common Korean surname?

Accepted Answer

김 (Kim) is the most common Korean surname, shared by approximately 21.5% of the population (about 10 million people). The top 5 surnames — Kim (김), Lee (이), Park (박), Choi (최), and Jung (정) — account for over 50% of the Korean population.

Question 12

Should I use spaces or hyphens in my romanized Korean name?

Accepted Answer

For passport and official documents, hyphens are standard for two-syllable given names (e.g., Min-jun). In casual use, you can write it without hyphens (Minjun) or with spaces (Min Jun). The key is consistency — pick one format and stick with it.

Question 13

How do I write my English name in Korean?

Accepted Answer

Open the English Name → Korean tab and type your name, e.g. "Michael Smith" becomes 마이클 스미스. Korean keeps the Western order (given name first) with a space between names. Common names come from a list of spellings Koreans actually use; other names are approximated from English pronunciation.

Question 14

Why are there two Korean spellings for some English names?

Accepted Answer

The National Institute of Korean Language sets official loanword spellings (e.g. Daniel → 대니얼), but everyday use often differs (다니엘). For official documents follow the standard; for social media or a nickname the common form is usually more familiar to Koreans.

English name	Korean (common)	Official spelling
James	제임스	—
Michael	마이클	—
David	데이비드	—
John	존	—
Daniel	다니엘	대니얼
William	윌리엄	—
Matthew	매튜	매슈
Christopher	크리스토퍼	—
Joseph	조셉	조지프
Thomas	토머스	—
Ryan	라이언	—
Kevin	케빈	—
Brian	브라이언	—
Jacob	제이콥	제이컵
Ethan	이선	—
Noah	노아	—
Liam	리엄	—
Lucas	루카스	루커스
Oliver	올리버	—
Alexander	알렉산더	—
Olivia	올리비아	—
Emma	엠마	에마
Sophia	소피아	—
Emily	에밀리	—
Jessica	제시카	—
Sarah	사라	세라
Jennifer	제니퍼	—
Elizabeth	엘리자베스	—
Charlotte	샬롯	샬럿
Amelia	아멜리아	어밀리아
Isabella	이사벨라	이저벨라
Mia	미아	—
Chloe	클로이	—
Grace	그레이스	—
Hannah	한나	해나
Rachel	레이첼	레이철
Stephanie	스테파니	스테퍼니
Michelle	미셸	—
Ashley	애슐리	—
Lily	릴리	—

Korean Name Romanizer

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Romanizing Korean Names: Rules vs. Reality

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Sources & References