Ko (Korean surname)

Ko
Hangul	고
Hanja	髙高
Revised Romanization	Go
McCune–Reischauer	Ko

Ko
Pronunciation	Go, Goh, Koh
Language(s)	Korean
Origin
Meaning	high
Region of origin	Korean peninsula
Other names
Variant form(s)	Gao, Cao

Ko (Korean: 고; Hanja: 髙/高), also variously romanized Go, Goh, or Koh, is a common Korean surname.

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Among Koreans with this surname, the largest clan is the Jeju Go clan [ko], named for its bon-gwan (clan hometown) of Jeju Island; they claim descent from Go Eul-na [ko], the first ruler of the kingdom of Tamna, which ruled Jeju until being absorbed by the Joseon dynasty.^[1]^[2]

According to the Samguk Sagi, the Goguryeo royal family claimed descent from the mythical god Gao Yang, who was the grandson of the Yellow Emperor of Chinese mythology, and thus took the surname of "Go" (高);^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6]^[7]^[8] however, this legend was discredited in the commentaries (논찬; 論贊) by Kim Busik, the compiler of the Samguk Sagi, who concluded that both Baekje and Goguryeo originated from Buyeo.^[9]

Liaoyang (Hanja: 遼陽) based Go (Hanja: 高) family is The Royal of Goguryeo, Northern Yan ruler Gao Yun (Hanja: 高雲), Tang dynasty general Gao Xianzhi (Hanja: 高仙芝) has Goguryeo origin. In South Korea, Hoengseong Go clan is also descended from the Royal dynasty of Goguryeo and the clan's genealogy book specifies Dongmyeong of Goguryeo as the direct ancestor.^[10]

According to the 2000 South Korean census, there were 435,839 people in 135,488 households with this surname. Among these, 325,950 people in 100,954 households were members of the Jeju Go clan.^[11] In a study based on a sample of applications for South Korean passports in 2007, 67.5% chose to spell it as Ko, 18.3% as Go, and 11.4% as Koh.^[12]

Go Ah-sung (born 1992), South Korean actress
Go Ara (born 1990), South Korean actress and model
Go Bo-gyeol (born 1988) South Korean actress
Go Bong-jae (born 1993), South Korean professional baseball pitcher
Go Dae-woo (born 1987), South Korean footballer
Go Doo-shim (born 1951), South Korean actress
Go Hui-dong (1886–1965), South Korean painter
Go Hyun-jung (born 1971), South Korean actress
Go Jae-hyeon (born 1999), South Korean footballer
Go Jin-won (born 1956), South Korean wrestler
Go Joo-won (born 1981), South Korean actor
Goh Kun (born 1938), South Korean politician, former Prime Minister of South Korea and former Acting President of South Korea.
Go Kyung-pyo (born 1990), South Korean actor
Go Min-si (born 1995), South Korean actress
Go Seul-ki (born 1986), South Korean footballer
Go Soo (born 1978), South Korean actor
Go Tae-seob (stage name Holland, born 1996), South Korean singer
Go Woo-ri (born 1988), South Korean actress and singer, former member of girl group Rainbow
Go Yo-han (born 1988), South Korean footballer
Go Yoon-hwan (stage name Ryeoun, born 1998), South Korean actor
Go Youn-ha (born 1988), South Korean singer-songwriter and record producer
Go Youn-jung (born 1996), South Korean model and actress
Goh Young-jun (born 2001), South Korean footballer

Ko Chang-seok (born 1970), South Korean actor
Koh Chun-son (born 1954), North Korean long-distance runner
Koh Dong-Jin (born 1961), South Korean businessman, former CEO of Samsung
E. J. Koh (born 1988), American writer and translator
Koh Gou Young (born 1957), South Korean biologist
Harold Hongju Koh (born 1954), American diplomat, lawyer, legal scholar
Howard Koh (born 1952), former United States Assistant Secretary for Health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Ko Hye-in (born 1994), South Korean ice hockey player
Ko Hyeong-ryeol (born 1954), South Korean poet
Ko Hyung-jin (born 1982), South Korean football referee
Ko Im-pyo (born 1962), South Korean film editor
Irene Koh (born 1990), South Korean-born comics artist in the United States
Ko Jae-hyo (born 1980), South Korean former footballer
Ko Jae-sung (born 1985), South Korean footballer
Ko Jae-wook (born 1951), South Korean football manager and former player
Jennifer Koh (born 1976), American violinist
Ko Jeong-woon (born 1966), South Korean football manager and former player
Ko Ji-yong (born 1980), South Korean singer and businessman, former member of boy band Sechs Kies
Ko Jong-soo (born 1978), South Korean football coach and former player
Ko Joo-yeon (born 1994), South Korean actress
Ko Kwang-min (field hockey) (born 1981), South Korean field hockey player
Ko Kwang-min (footballer) (born 1988), South Korean footballer
Ko Kyu-pil (born 1982), South Korean actor
Lucy Koh (born 1968), American judge
Lydia Ko (born 1997), South Korea-born New Zealand golfer
Ko Moo-yeol (born 1990), South Korean footballer
Ko Myeong-seok (born 1995), South Korean professional footballer
Koh Myong-jin (born 1988), South Korean footballer
Ko San (born 1976), South Korea entrepreneur
Ko Seong-il (born 1974), South Korean voice actor
Ko Seung-beom (born 1994), South Korean footballer
Ko Seung-wan (born 1981), South Korean curler
Ko So-young (born 1972), South Korean actress and model
Koh Suk-chang (born 1963), South Korean handball player
Ko Sung-hee (born 1990), Korean-American actress
Ko Sung-hyun (born 1987), South Korean badminton player
Ko Sung-kuk (born 1955), South Korean political scientist
Ko Tae-won (born 1993), South Korean footballer
Ko Un (born 1933), South Korean poet
Ko Yong-hui (1952–2004), North Korean dancer and mother of Kim Jong-un

[1]
"고씨(高氏)의 유래와 본관" [The origins and bon-gwan of the surname Go]. Academy of Korean Studies. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
[2]
"(71)제주고씨" [(71) Jeju Go clan]. JoongAng Ilbo. 2 July 1983. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
[3]
National Institute of Korean History. 三國史記卷第二十八百濟本紀第六. National Institute of Korean HistoryDatabase.
[4]
National Institute of Korean History. 三國史記卷第十八髙句麗本紀第六. National Institute of Korean HistoryDatabase.
[5]
한국인문고전연구소 원문과 함께 읽는 삼국사기 의자왕 義慈王. 한국인문고전연구소.
[6]
한국인문고전연구소 원문과 함께 읽는 삼국사기 광개토왕 廣開土王. 한국인문고전연구소.
[7]
金光林 [in Japanese] (2014). A Comparison of the Korean and Japanese Approaches to Foreign Family Names (PDF). Journal of Cultural Interaction in East Asia Vol.5 Society for Cultural Interaction in East Asia. p. 30.
[8]
Samguk Sagi volume 28
Classical Chinese
:髙句麗亦以髙辛氏之後, 姓髙氏見晉書載記。
— 三國史記卷二十八百濟本紀第六
[9]
Breuker, Remco E. (2010). Establishing a Pluralist Society in Medieval Korea, 918-1170: History, Ideology and Identity in the Koryŏ Dynasty. BRILL. p. 94. ISBN 9789004183254. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
[10]
"고구려 고씨". 강원일보. 29 January 2004.
[11]
"행정구역(구시군)/성씨·본관별 가구 및 인구" [Family names by administrative region (district, city, county): separated by bon-gwan, households and individuals]. Korean Statistical Information Service. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
[12]
성씨 로마자 표기 방안: 마련을 위한 토론회 [Plan for romanisation of surnames: a preparatory discussion]. National Institute of Korean Language. 25 June 2009. p. 57. Retrieved 31 October 2020.

This page lists people with the surname Ko.
If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name(s) to the link.

[1] [1]
"고씨(高氏)의 유래와 본관" [The origins and bon-gwan of the surname Go]. Academy of Korean Studies. Retrieved 31 October 2020.

[2] [2]
"(71)제주고씨" [(71) Jeju Go clan]. JoongAng Ilbo. 2 July 1983. Retrieved 31 October 2020.

[National_Institute_of_Korean_History1-3] [3]
National Institute of Korean History. 三國史記卷第二十八百濟本紀第六. National Institute of Korean HistoryDatabase.

[National_Institute_of_Korean_History2-4] [4]
National Institute of Korean History. 三國史記卷第十八髙句麗本紀第六. National Institute of Korean HistoryDatabase.

[한국인문고전연구소1-5] [5]
한국인문고전연구소 원문과 함께 읽는 삼국사기 의자왕 義慈王. 한국인문고전연구소.

[한국인문고전연구소2-6] [6]
한국인문고전연구소 원문과 함께 읽는 삼국사기 광개토왕 廣開土王. 한국인문고전연구소.

[7] [7]
金光林 [in Japanese] (2014). A Comparison of the Korean and Japanese Approaches to Foreign Family Names (PDF). Journal of Cultural Interaction in East Asia Vol.5 Society for Cultural Interaction in East Asia. p. 30.

[8] [8]
Samguk Sagi volume 28
Classical Chinese
:髙句麗亦以髙辛氏之後, 姓髙氏見晉書載記。
— 三國史記卷二十八百濟本紀第六

[9] [9]
Breuker, Remco E. (2010). Establishing a Pluralist Society in Medieval Korea, 918-1170: History, Ideology and Identity in the Koryŏ Dynasty. BRILL. p. 94. ISBN 9789004183254. Retrieved 15 February 2019.

[10] [10]
"고구려 고씨". 강원일보. 29 January 2004.

[Census2000-11] [11]
"행정구역(구시군)/성씨·본관별 가구 및 인구" [Family names by administrative region (district, city, county): separated by bon-gwan, households and individuals]. Korean Statistical Information Service. Retrieved 31 October 2020.

[12] [12]
성씨 로마자 표기 방안: 마련을 위한 토론회 [Plan for romanisation of surnames: a preparatory discussion]. National Institute of Korean Language. 25 June 2009. p. 57. Retrieved 31 October 2020.

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Ko (Korean surname)

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Ko (Korean surname)

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Ko or Koh

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