Yoo (Korean surname)
Yu is the English transcription of several Korean surnames written as or in Hangul. Some of the family names written as Yoo are derived from the Chinese surnames 劉 or 柳 and 兪. As of 2000, roughly a million people are surnamed Yoo in South Korea, making up approximately 2% of the population. Of those, the most common is Ryu, with more than six hundred thousand holders, whereas Yu accounts for about one hundred thousand.
The family name Yoo can be represented by any of the four Hanja: 柳, 劉, 兪 and 庾, each with a different meaning. In Korean, only the character 柳 specifically refers to 류 or 유, whereas the characters 劉, 兪 and 庾 refers to 유 and is spelled as such; because of its :ko:두음 법칙|First Initial Sound Rule.
Surname: Hanja: /, Hangul: 유,류 Pinyin: Liú. A very common surname, as it was used by the ruling family of the Han Dynasty.
Notable 柳 clans include the Ryu clan of Munhwa and the Pungsan Ryoo.
History
According to Chinese legend, Yoo is an ancient Chinese surname. The ancestors of the surname were closely linked with the ancient sage-king named Yu Shun. In Korea, the Yoo lineage traces to the Xia, Han, and Joseon dynasties. Holders of the surname Yu or Yoo had a reputation for charity and diligence. Some sources indicate the existence of as many as 230 clans, but only about twenty have been be positively documented, several of Chinese origin.The largest Ryu clan, the Munhwa Ryu, was founded by a man named Ch’a Tal. Ch’a's fifth great-grandfather had been involved in an attempt to overthrow the Silla king. To avoid prosecution, the ancestor fled to Munhwa and changed his surname, first to that of his maternal grandmother, Yang, and then to Ryoo. Many years later, Ch’a Tal assisted Wang Kŏn to establish the Koryŏ Kingdom. Ch’a was recognized for his support and was rewarded accordingly. However, the historic claims that the Ch'a clans are derived from the same progenitor as Ryu Ch'a-dal have been disproven. The Munhwa Ryoo clan, along with the Andong Kwŏn clan, possess one of Korea's oldest clan genealogies. Only the character 柳 is commonly pronounced Ryu or Ryoo. The surname "Ryoo" comes from the character meaning willow tree. Hence, the lineage is also sometimes called "willow Ryoo".
Notable individuals
Historic
- Ryu Cha-dal
- Yoo Chang, founder of the "Myogeumdo" Yoos, who was among the founders of the Joseon Dynasty.
- Yu Deuk-gong
- Yu Eung-bu, of the Gigye Yoo clan originally from Pohang, one of the Six martyred ministers during the Joseon Dynasty.
- Ryu Gwan-sun
- Yu Hyeong-won
- Yu Kil-chun, of the Gigye Yoo clan originally from Pohang
- Ryu Seong-won, one of the Six martyred ministers during the Joseon Dynasty.
- Ryu Seong-ryong
- Yu Su-won, politician and Neo-Confucianism scholar and the early Silhak school philosopher of the Joseon Dynasty.
- Il-han New
Modern
- Yoo Ah-in, an actor
- Yu Anjin, Korean poet
- Yoo Ara, an actress and singer, former leader of Hello Venus
- Yoo Chae-yeong, an actress and singer
- Yoo Chang-hyun, a member of Teen Top
- Yoo Dong-geun, an actor
- Yoo Dongju, member of South Korean girl group Neon Punch
- Yoo Hae-jin, an actor
- Yoo Ho-jeong, an actress
- Yoo Hyun-young, an actress
- Yoo Hwe-seung, member of the South Korean group N.Flying
- Yoo In-na, an actress
- Yoo In-young, an actress
- Yoo Jae-ha, South Korean singer-songwriter
- Yoo Jae-suk, a TV presenter, Host of Running Man, Happy Together and Host-in-chief of Infinite Challenge
- Yoo Jeong-ahn, a singer and member of Momoland
- Yoo Jeong-yeon, of the Gigye Yoo clan originally from Pohang, a singer and Twice member
- Yoo Ji-ae, a singer, a member of Lovelyz
- Yoo Ji-tae, an actor and director
- Yoo Jun-sang, an actor
- Yu Kang-min, member of South Korean boy group VERIVERY
- Yoo Ki-hyun, South Korean singer, member of Monsta X
- Yoo Min-hyeon, South Korean curler
- Yoo Taeyang, South Korean Idol, member of SF9
- Yoo Sang-Chul, a soccer player
- Yoo Seung-ho, of the Gigye Yoo clan originally from Pohang, an actor
- Yoo Seung-yeon, of the Gigye Yoo clan originally from Pohang, an actress
- Yoo Seung-woo, singer-songwriter and guitarist
- Yoo Si-ah, a member of girl group Oh My Girl
- Yoo Soo-Young, a singer and actress
- Yoo So-young, an actress and former After School member
- Yoo Yeon-jung, of the Gigye Yoo clan originally from Pohang, member of South Korean girl groups I.O.I and Cosmic Girls
- Yoo Yeon-seok, an actor
- Yoo Yeon-soo, an actress
- Yoo Yong-sung, a badminton player
- Yoo Yong-ha, leader of South Korean boy band 1THE9
- Yoo Young-chul, South Korean serial killer, rapist, and cannibal
- Yoo Young-ho, sculptor
- Yoo Young-jae, a member of South Korean band B.A.P
- Yoo Hee-do, rapper, a member of South Korean band B.I.G
- Yoo Young-jin, a songwriter
- You Hee-yeol, a singer-songwriter
- Yu In-chon, an actor and politician
- Ryoo Ryong, a scientist
- Ryoo Seung-bum, an actor
- Ryoo Seung-wan, a director
- Ryu Deok-hwan, an actor
- Ryu Hwayoung, an actress and former member of T-ARA
- Ryu Hyoyoung, an actress and former member of F-ve Dolls
- Ryu Hye-young, an actress
- Hyun-Jin Ryu, South Korean baseball player
- Ryu Hyun-kyung, an actress
- Ryu Jun-yeol, an actor
- Ryu Sera, a singer, former member of Nine Muses
- Ryu Seung-Min, a professional table tennis player
- Ryu Seung-ryong, an actor
- Ryu Seung-soo, an actor and writer
- Ryu Seung-Woo, a soccer player
- Ryu Shikun, a professional Go player
- Ryu Si-won, an actor and singer
- Ryu So-yeon, a professional golfer
- Ryu Soo-young, an actor
- Ryu Su-jeong, a singer, a member of Lovelyz
- Ryu Jin, an actor
- Rhyu Si-min, a politician, 2007 presidential candidate of the UNDP Primary
- Jae Kuk Ryu, a professional baseball pitcher for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
- Aaron Yoo, a Korean-American actor
- Barom "Rome" Yu, Korean-Australian member of South Korean band C-Clown
- Christopher Yoo, a professor of Law, Communication, and Computer and Information Science at the University of Pennsylvania Law School
- John Yoo, a professor of law at the University of California, Berkeley, best known for his work from 2001 to 2003 in the U.S. Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel
- Yoo Gun Hyung, a songwriter who co-wrote "Gangnam Style"
- Naul, Korean Singer. His surname is Yoo.