Jeong

Jeong is a Korean feminine given name, also used as a unisex name, which originates from Sino-Korean characters. It derives from characters such as 靜 (jeong) meaning "quiet, still, gentle" or 貞 (jeong) meaning "virtuous, chaste, loyal," among other characters with similar pronunciation. Although it is sometimes used alone, it commonly appears as an element in multi-syllable Korean names. In Korean naming traditions, the meaning of the chosen hanja character holds significance for the qualities parents wish to bestow upon their child.

Historical and Noteworthy Bearers

Jeong has been a notable name throughout Korean history. One prominent figure is Jeong of Balhae (died 812), the seventh king of the Balhae Kingdom, which flourished from 698 to 926 in present-day Manchuria and the Korean peninsula. In the arts, Yi Chong (1541–1622) was a celebrated painter of the Joseon Dynasty. In modern times, the name has been held by figures such as Heo Jeong (1896–1988), a Korean independence activist and South Korean politician, and Kang Jeong (born 1971), a South Korean poet. Among women, Suh Jung (born 1972) is a South Korean actress, and Jang Jeong (born 1980) is a professional golfer. Variant spellings like Jung appear in the names of baseball player Choi Jeong (born 1987) and Go player Choi Jeong (born 1996). North Korean table tennis player Kim Jong (born 1989) is also a bearer of this name, spelled as Jong according to the McCune–Reischauer romanization system. According to South Korean government data, names containing the element "Jeong" were highly popular for newborns in the mid-to-late 20th century, though their popularity declined after 1990.

Related Names Across Cultures

The name Jeong has variants in other languages, often corresponding to analogous characters. In Chinese, related names include Jing, Zhen, and Zheng. In Japanese, the reading Tadashi is used for similar characters. The Vietnamese form is Trinh. Within Korean, alternative spellings such as Jong and Jung reflect variations in romanization systems.

• Meaning: "quiet, still, gentle" or "virtuous, chaste, loyal"
• Origin: Sino-Korean
• Type: Given name; often paired with another character but used alone as well
• Usage Regions: Korea