Once again, a timely writing (in an odd sort of way to me). My husband and I woke up this morning thinking about names and where they come from. I cited Nebuchadnezzar and Nadezhda, and then we started thinking about localities of names. I mentioned how it it is important to me to learn to recognize and pronounce Korean names - Hyunwoo, So-min, Eun-ji, Seolyeon, Juhea... (you get my drift). Then I said, "I wonder when people started naming themselves and where they got their names from?" We went through birds (Robin, Jay...), plants (Rose, Heather...), Insects (Bee, Mariposa, Nabi...), Herbs (Rosemary, Sage..), Animals (Coyote, ...). Names are fascinating.
Korean names are opposite of Western, or even Japanese, names in that European cultures have a finite set of first (given) names while having almost countless number of last names. In Korean culture, it's the opposite. Only a few hundred last names (and 10 most common last names accounting for over 60% of the whole population) exist, while the number of first-middle (given) names can be almost countless.
Once again, a timely writing (in an odd sort of way to me). My husband and I woke up this morning thinking about names and where they come from. I cited Nebuchadnezzar and Nadezhda, and then we started thinking about localities of names. I mentioned how it it is important to me to learn to recognize and pronounce Korean names - Hyunwoo, So-min, Eun-ji, Seolyeon, Juhea... (you get my drift). Then I said, "I wonder when people started naming themselves and where they got their names from?" We went through birds (Robin, Jay...), plants (Rose, Heather...), Insects (Bee, Mariposa, Nabi...), Herbs (Rosemary, Sage..), Animals (Coyote, ...). Names are fascinating.
Anyway, I loved your topic. Thanks.
Korean names are opposite of Western, or even Japanese, names in that European cultures have a finite set of first (given) names while having almost countless number of last names. In Korean culture, it's the opposite. Only a few hundred last names (and 10 most common last names accounting for over 60% of the whole population) exist, while the number of first-middle (given) names can be almost countless.