Meaning & History
Sun-young is a Korean female given name. An alternate transcription of the Korean Hangul 선영, it is more commonly romanized as Seon-yeong or Seon-young.
Etymology and Meaning
The name is typically formed from Sino-Korean characters: seon meaning “good, virtuous” (善) or “declare, announce” (宣), combined with yeong (英) meaning “flower, petal, brave, hero”. However, many other hanja combinations may be used.
Popularity
In South Korea, Sun-young was the ninth-most popular name for baby girls in both 1970 and 1980, indicating sustained mid-century usage.
Notable Bearers
Several South Korean entertainers bear the name:
- Kim Sun-young (actress, born 1976) – film and television actress.
- Park Sun-young (actress, born 1976) – actress.
- Kim Sun-young (actress, born 1980) – actress.
- Hyomin (born Park Sun-young, 1989) – singer and member of K-pop group T-ara.
- Luna (born Park Sun-young, 1993) – singer and actress, member of f(x).
In sports, notable bearers include Kim Seon-young (judoka, born 1979), Olympic medalist; Lee Sun-young (long-distance runner, born 1984), and Yoo Sun-young (golfer).
Key Facts
- Meaning: good, virtuous (善) / declare (宣) + flower, hero (英)
- Origin: Korean (Sino-Korean)
- Type: first name
- Usage regions: South Korea
Sources: Wikipedia — Sun-young