Korean clans
Hangul
Hanja
Revised Romanizationbongwan
McCune–Reischauerpon'gwan

Korean clans (Korean: 본관; RR: bon-gwan) are groups of people that share the same paternal ancestor and are indicated by the combination of a bongwan (place of origin) and a family name (clan name). Korean clans are used to distinguish clans that happen to share the same family name (clan 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. 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 clan and the Gimhae Heo 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

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

EnglishHangulHanja2015 South Korean population
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
Miryang 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 Gim Alji 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
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 청주 경씨 淸州 慶氏 12,474

See also

References

  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.
  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
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