Eun-jeong

Eun-jeong (also spelled Eun-jung or Eun-jong) is a Korean feminine given name. It was one of the most popular names for baby girls in South Korea in the 1970s and 1980s, ranking third in 1970 and sixth in 1980.

The name is formed by combining Sino-Korean characters. The first syllable, eun, can be written with characters such as 恩 (eun) meaning "kindness, mercy, charity" or 慇 (eun) meaning "careful, anxious, attentive." The second syllable, jeong, can be written with 廷 (jeong) meaning "courtyard" or 婷 (jeong) meaning "pretty, graceful." Many other hanja combinations are possible, allowing for variations in meaning.

Notable Bearers

Several South Korean entertainers bear this name:

• Shin Eun-jung (born 1974), South Korean actress
• Han Eun-jung (born 1980), South Korean actress
• Hahm Eun-jung (born 1988), South Korean actress and singer, member of the girl group T-ara

In sports, notable bearers include:

• Chang Eun-jung (born 1970), South Korean field hockey player
• Cho Eun-jung (born 1971), South Korean field hockey player
• Shim Eun-jung (born 1971), South Korean badminton player
• Lee Eun-jung (born 1981), South Korean long-distance runner
• Yi Eun-jung (born 1988), South Korean golfer
• Kim Eun-jung (curler) (born 1990), South Korean curler

The name also has a North Korean bearer: Hong Un-jong (born 1989), an artistic gymnast.

Cultural Significance

The name Eun-jeong exemplifies the common practice of using Sino-Korean characters to form given names in Korea. Each component carries specific meanings that parents may choose for their aspirational quality—kindness, grace, or carefulness. The popularity of the name in the 1970s-1980s reflects broader naming trends in South Korea during that period.

• Meaning: varies by hanja; common meanings include kindness, mercy, courtyard, graceful
• Origin: Korean (Sino-Korean)
• Type: Given name
• Usage: South and North Korea