Korean Surnames
오
吳
How it's spelled in English
- O(official)
- Oh
Usual hanja
吳 — the name of an ancient state (Wu)
Well-known clans (bongwan)
해주 오씨
A bongwan is the ancestral home of a clan — two Kims from different bongwan are different families.
Population
- 오(吳) 763,281 people, 1.5% of the population
Statistics Korea, 2015 Population and Housing Census
About it
A single-letter romanization like “O” looks odd in passports, so nearly everyone writes Oh.
Frequently asked questions
How do you spell the Korean surname 오 in English?
The official romanization of 오 (吳) is O; in everyday use it is written Oh, O.
What does the Korean surname 오 mean?
The surname 오 is usually written with the character 吳, meaning “the name of an ancient state (Wu).”
How many people in Korea have the surname 오?
The 2015 Korean census by Statistics Korea counted 763,281 people registered as 오(吳) (1.5% of the population).
What are the main clans (bon-gwan) of the 오 surname?
Well-known bon-gwan (clan seats) of 오 include 해주 오씨.
What should you know about the surname 오 (Oh)?
A single-letter romanization like “O” looks odd in passports, so nearly everyone writes Oh.