Korean clans

Hangul|

Hanja|

Revised Romanization| bongwan
McCune–Reischauer| pon'gwan

Korean clans are groups of people that share the same paternal ancestor. They are indicated by the combination of a bongwan (Korean: 본관; lit. place of origin) and a family name. For example, the Jeonju Yi clan is identified by the city Jeonju and family name Yi.

Korean clans are used to distinguish clans that happen to share the same family name The bongwan system identifies descent groups by geographic place of origin.[1] However, a clan name is not treated as a part of a Korean person's name.[citation needed] The bongwan and the family name are passed on from a father to his children, thus ensuring that person in the same paternal lineage sharing the same combination of the bongwan and the family name. A bongwan does not change by marriage or adoption.

Bongwan are used to distinguish different lineages that bear the same family name. For example, the Gyeongju Kim and the Gimhae Kim are considered different clans, even though they happen to share the same family name Kim. In this case, Gyeongju and Gimhae are the respective bongwan of these clans.

Different family names sharing the same bongwan sometimes trace their origin to a common paternal ancestor, e.g. the Gimhae Kim [ko] clan and the Gimhae Heo [ko] clan share Suro of Geumgwan Gaya as their common paternal ancestor, though such cases are exceptional.

According to the population and housing census of 2000 conducted by the South Korean government, there are a total of 286 surnames and 4,179 clans.[2]

## Restrictions on marriage and adoption[edit]

Traditionally, a man and a woman in the same clan could not marry, so the combination of the bongwan and the family name of a husband had to differ from that of a wife. Until 1997, this was also the law, but this was ruled as unconstitutional.

When adopting a child, the adoptive father and the adopted child must share the same combination of the bongwan and the family name. However, in exceptional circumstances, adoptive parents can change an adopted child’s family name for the adopted child's welfare. In this case, the adoptive parents must visit a family court to request permission to change the family name.[3]

## List[edit]

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (April 2020)

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English | Hangul | Hanja | 2015 South Korean population

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Gimhae Kim clan |  김해 김씨 Descended from Suro of Gaya. After the fall of Gaya in 562, many Gaya aristocrats were incorporated into Silla. | 金海 金氏 |

4,456,700

Milyang Park clan | 밀양 박씨 Descended from Hyeokgeose of Silla (BC 57~936). All the Park clans in Korea trace their ancestry back to Hyeokgeose of Silla. | 密陽 朴氏 |

3,103,942

Jeonju Yi clan | 전주 이씨 Descended from Yi Han of Silla. | 全州 李氏 |

2,631,643

Gyeongju Kim clan  | 경주 김씨 Descended from Kim Al-chi of Silla | 慶州 金氏 |

1,800,853

Gyeongju Yi clan  | 경주 이씨 | 慶州 李氏 |

1,391,867

Jinju Kang clan  | 진주 강씨 | 晉州 姜氏 |

968,109

Gyeongju Choi clan | 경주 최씨 | 慶州 崔氏 |

945,005

Gwangsan Kim clan | 광산 김씨 | 光山 金氏 |

926,316

Papyeong Yoon clan  | 파평 윤씨 | 坡平尹氏 |

770,932

Cheongju Han clan | 청주 한씨 | 淸州 韓氏 |

752,689

Andong Gwon clan  | 안동 권씨 | 安東 權氏 |

696,317

Indong Jang clan | 인동 장씨 | 仁同 張氏 |

666,652

Pyeongsan Shin clan | 평산 신씨 | 平山申氏 |

563,375

Sunheung Ahn clan | 순흥 안씨 | 順興 安氏 |

520,384

Andong Kim clan | 안동 김씨 | 安東 金氏 |

519,719

Namyang Hong clan | 남양 홍씨 | 南陽 洪氏 |

487,488

Dongnae Jeong clan  | 동래 정씨 | 東萊 鄭氏 |

474,506

Haeju Oh clan | 해주 오씨 | 海州 吳氏 |

462,704

Jeonju Choi clan  | 전주 최씨 | 全州 崔氏 |

458,191

Nampyeong Moon clan  | 남평 문씨 | 南平 文氏 |

445,946

Dalseong Seo clan  | 달성 서씨 | 達城 徐氏 |

407,431

Changnyeong Jo clan  | 창녕 조씨 | 昌寧 曺氏 |

366,798

Suwon Baek clan | 수원 백씨 | 水原 白氏 |

354,428

Gyeongju Jeong clan  | 경주 정씨 | 慶州 鄭氏 |

350,587

Hanyang Jo clan  | 한양 조씨 | 漢陽 趙氏 |

332,580

Moonhwa Ryu clan  | 문화 류씨 | 文化 柳氏 |

327,627

Jeju Ko clan  | 제주 고씨 | 濟州 髙氏 |

310,542

Changwon Hwang clan | 창원 황씨 | 昌原 黃氏 |

252,814

Yeongsan Shin clan | 영산 신씨 | 靈山 辛氏 |

187,426

Hyeonpung Gwak clan | 현풍 곽씨 | 玄風 郭氏 |

166,608

Yeoheung Min clan | 여흥 민씨 | 驪興 閔氏 |

159,522[4]

Yangcheon Heo clan | 양천 허씨 | 陽川 許氏 |

149,505

Seongju Bae clan  | 성주 배씨 | 星州 裵氏 |

148,672

Pungcheon Im clan | 풍천 임씨 | 豊川 任氏 |

143,881

Yeoyang Jin clan | 여양 진씨 | 驪陽 陳氏 |

110,403

Yeongyang Nam clan  | 영양 남씨 | 英陽 南氏 |

82,272

Gyeongju Son clan  | 경주 손씨 | 慶州 孫氏 |

68,486

Deoksu Yi clan  | 덕수 이씨 | 德水 李氏 |

58,513

Cheongju Yang clan | 청주 양씨 | 淸州 楊氏 |

38,161

Hampyeong Mo clan | 함평 모씨 | 咸平 牟氏 |

20,644

Myeoncheon Bok clan  | 면천 복씨 | 沔川 卜氏 |

9,538

Hwanggan Gyeon clan  | 황간 견씨 | 黃澗 甄氏 |

1,251

Haeju Jeong Clan  | 해주 정씨 | 海州 鄭氏  | ?
Cheongju Kyung Clan  | [1] 청주 경씨  | 淸州 慶氏  | 12,474

## See also[edit]

* Ancestral home (Chinese)
* Korean clan names of foreign origin
* Korean name
* List of Korean surnames
* Place of origin

## References[edit]

1. ^ Duncan, John B. (28 April 2015). The Origins of the Choson Dynasty. University of Washington Press. p. 31\. ISBN 978-0-295-80533-7.
2. ^ "2000 인구주택총조사 성씨 및 본관 집계결과". 통계청 (in Korean). Statistics Korea. Retrieved 20 October 2017.[permanent dead link]
3. ^ Law Agency. "The law of Family name and Bongwan(adoptive child)". easylaw.go.kr (in Korean). Retrieved 2018-04-14.
4. ^ "Yeoheung Min clan", Wikipedia, 2021-03-11, retrieved 2021-03-16

## External links[edit]

* List of Korean clans (in Korean)

* v
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Koreans

Peoples|

| Yemaek peoples|

* Buyeo people
* Goryeo people
* Balhae people
* Eastern Ye people
* Okjeo people
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Samhan peoples|

* Mahan people
* Silla people
* Gaya people

the others|

* Jeju people
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