Eun-young

Eun-young is a Korean female given name, an alternate transcription of Eun-yeong written in Hangul as 은영 (Eun-yeong). It was the eighth-most popular name for baby girls born in South Korea in 1980, according to official statistics. The name derives from Sino-Korean elements, typically eun (恩) meaning "kindness, mercy, charity" and yeong (英) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero," though other combinations of hanja characters are possible. This flexibility in hanja choice is common in Korean naming practices, allowing parents to imbue the name with various nuances while maintaining the same pronunciation.

Notable bearers include a number of athletes and entertainers. Sportspeople named Eun-young include Nam Eun-young (born 1970), a team handball player who competed for South Korea; Cho Eun-young (born 1972), a sport shooter; and Lee Eun-young, a field hockey player (born 1974) and another Lee Eun-young active in taekwondo in the late 1980s. In the entertainment industry, the name belongs to WoongSan (born Kim Eun-young, 1973), a jazz musician; Cheetah (rapper) (born Kim Eun-young, 1990); and Ben (South Korean singer) (born Lee Eun-young, 1991). Other notable figures include writer Choi Eun-young (born 1984). The name also appears in fiction: the lead character of the 2008 film Beautiful is named Eun-yeong, and the titular character of the 2020 drama The School Nurse Files is Ahn Eun-young.

Cultural Summary

• Meaning: "kindness, mercy, charity" (Eun) combined with "flower, petal, brave, hero" (Yeong), though variable by hanja.
• Origin: Korean (Sino-Korean)
• Type: Feminine given name
• Usage: South Korea (popular in 1980)