Yoon

Yoon is a Korean surname and, less commonly, a given-name element. In Hangul it is written 윤 and is frequently romanized as Yoon, Yun, or Youn. It is a relatively common surname in Korea and among the Korean diaspora.

The surname Yoon most often corresponds to the hanja 尹, though other hanja with the same pronunciation exist. Because Korean family names are defined by their hanja, the meaning attached to the name varies with the character chosen.

In given-name usage, Yoon can appear as part of a two-syllable name. When used in given names, its meaning depends on the hanja selected for the second syllable and any additional characters.

Notable people with the surname Yoon include Yoon Suk-yeol, the President of South Korea since 2022; Yoon Eun-hye, actress and singer; Yoon Kye-sang, actor and singer; Yoon Shi-yoon, actor; and Youn Yuh-jung, Academy Award-winning actress. The spelling in English varies, with Yoon, Yun, or Youn used by different individuals and families.