Korean Surnames
류
柳
How it's spelled in English
- Ryu(official)
- Yoo
- Yu
Usual hanja
柳 — willow
Well-known clans (bongwan)
문화 류씨 · 진주 류씨
A bongwan is the ancestral home of a clan — two Kims from different bongwan are different families.
Population
- 류(柳) 163,703 people, 0.3% of the population
- 유(柳) 478,990 people, 1.0% of the population
Statistics Korea, 2015 Population and Housing Census · The census counts each spelling + hanja as a separate row; they are shown as listed, not added up.
About it
Written 유 under the initial-sound rule, but families may register it as 류; both are the same 柳.