Ko (Korean surname)

Ko (Korean: 고; Hanja: 髙/高), also variously romanized Go, Goh, or Koh, is a common Korean surname.

"Ko (surname)" redirects here. For the Chinese surname romanized to Ko in Hong Kong, see Gao (surname).
Ko
PronunciationGo, Goh, Koh
Language(s)Korean
Origin
Meaninghigh
Region of originKorean peninsula
Other names
Variant form(s)Gao, Cao
Ko
Hangul
고
Hanja
Revised RomanizationGo
McCune–ReischauerKo

Among Koreans with this surname, the largest clan is the Jeju Go clan, named for its bon-gwan (clan hometown) of Jeju Island; they claim descent from Go Eul-na, the first ruler of the kingdom of Tamna, which ruled Jeju until being absorbed by the Joseon dynasty.[1][2]

Origin

According to the Samguk Sagi, the Goguryeo royal family claimed descent from the mythical god Gao Yang, who was the grandson of the Yellow Emperor of Chinese mythology, and thus took the surname of "Go" (高);[3][4][5][6][7][8] however, this legend was discredited in the commentaries (논찬; 論贊) by Kim Busik, the compiler of the Samguk Sagi, who concluded that both Baekje and Goguryeo originated from Buyeo.[9]

Liaoyang (Hanja: 遼陽) based Go (Hanja: 高) family is The Royal of Goguryeo, Northern Yan ruler Gao Yun (Hanja: 高雲), Tang dynasty general Gao Xianzhi (Hanja: 高仙芝) has Goguryeo origin. In South Korea, Hoengseong Go clan is also descended from the Royal dynasty of Goguryeo and the clan's genealogy book specifies Dongmyeong of Goguryeo as the direct ancestor.[10]

Statistics

According to the 2000 South Korean census, there were 435,839 people in 135,488 households with this surname. Among these, 325,950 people in 100,954 households were members of the Jeju Go clan.[11] In a study based on a sample of applications for South Korean passports in 2007, 67.5% chose to spell it as Ko, 18.3% as Go, and 11.4% as Koh.[12]

Go or Goh
  • Go Ah-sung (born 1992), South Korean actress
  • Go Ara (born 1990), South Korean actress and model
  • Go Bo-gyeol (born 1988) South Korean actress
  • Go Doo-shim (born 1951), South Korean actress
  • Go Hui-dong (1886–1965), South Korean painter
  • Go Hyun-jung (born 1971), South Korean actress
  • Go Joo-won (born 1981), South Korean actor
  • Goh Kun (born 1938), South Korean politician, former Prime Minister of South Korea and former Acting President of South Korea.
  • Go Min-si (born 1995), South Korean actress
  • Go Soo (born 1978), South Korean actor
  • Holland (born Go Tae-seob, 1996), South Korean singer
  • Younha (born Go Youn-ha, 1988), South Korean singer-songwriter and record producer
  • Ryeoun (born Go Yoon-hwan, 1998), South Korean actor
  • Go Yoon (born Kim Jong-min, 1988), South Korean actor
  • Go Youn-jung (born 1996), South Korean model and actress

Ko or Koh

See also

References
  1. "고씨(高氏)의 유래와 본관" [The origins and bon-gwan of the surname Go]. Academy of Korean Studies. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  2. "(71)제주고씨" [(71) Jeju Go clan]. JoongAng Ilbo. 2 July 1983. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  3. National Institute of Korean History. 三國史記 卷第二十八 百濟本紀 第六. National Institute of Korean HistoryDatabase.
  4. National Institute of Korean History. 三國史記 卷第十八 髙句麗本紀 第六. National Institute of Korean HistoryDatabase.
  5. 한국인문고전연구소 원문과 함께 읽는 삼국사기 의자왕 義慈王. 한국인문고전연구소.
  6. 한국인문고전연구소 원문과 함께 읽는 삼국사기 광개토왕 廣開土王. 한국인문고전연구소.
  7. 金光林 [in Japanese] (2014). A Comparison of the Korean and Japanese Approaches to Foreign Family Names (PDF). Journal of Cultural Interaction in East Asia Vol.5 Society for Cultural Interaction in East Asia. p. 30.
  8. Samguk Sagi volume 28
    Classical Chinese
    :髙句麗亦以髙辛氏之後, 姓髙氏 見晉書載記。
    — 三國史記 卷二十八 百濟本紀 第六
  9. Breuker, Remco E. (2010). Establishing a Pluralist Society in Medieval Korea, 918-1170: History, Ideology and Identity in the Koryŏ Dynasty. BRILL. p. 94. ISBN 9789004183254. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  10. "고구려 고씨". 강원일보. 29 January 2004.
  11. "행정구역(구시군)/성씨·본관별 가구 및 인구" [Family names by administrative region (district, city, county): separated by bon-gwan, households and individuals]. Korean Statistical Information Service. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  12. 성씨 로마자 표기 방안: 마련을 위한 토론회 [Plan for romanisation of surnames: a preparatory discussion]. National Institute of the Korean Language. 25 June 2009. p. 57. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
Chinese Wikisource has original text related to this article:
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.