Choo

Choo is a term that can refer to a surname or given-name element in East Asian contexts and to an English onomatopoeia for the sound of a locomotive. As a surname, it is often a transliteration of the Korean family name 주, though it may also be encountered in other transliteration variants such as Ju, Chu, or Ju. In English-speaking contexts, individuals with the surname Choo appear in a variety of professions and fields.

Notable people with the surname Choo include Shin-Soo Choo (born 1982), a Korean-American professional baseball outfielder who has played in Major League Baseball for several teams. Another figure is Choo Ja-hyun (born 1980), a South Korean actress recognized for work in television and film.

In popular culture and language, Choo also functions as an onomatopoeia representing the chuffing or whistle of a train, especially in the common phrase “Choo choo!” used in children’s media and songs. The spelling variant Choo is primarily seen in romanizations of Korean names and in English-language contexts, while other transliterations such as Ju, Chu, or Zhu may be used for similar surnames in other languages.