Chae, also spelled Chai, is a

Korean family name This is a list of Korean surnames, in Hangul alphabetical order. Note: (S) North–South differences in the Korean language, denotes South Korea. (N) North–South differences in the Korean language, denotes North Korea. The most common Korean fa ...

and an element in some

Korean given name A Korean name (Hangul: ; Hanja: ) consists of a family name followed by a given name, as used by the Korean people in both South Korea and North Korea. In the Korean language, ''ireum'' or ''seongmyeong'' usually refers to the family name (''seon ...

s. Its meaning differs based on the hanja used to write it.

Family name

Overview

The 2000 South Korean Census found 119,251 people with the family name Chae. It could be written with any of three

hanja Hanja (Hangul: ; Hanja: , ), alternatively known as Hancha, are Chinese characters () used in the writing of Korean. Hanja was used as early as the Gojoseon period, the first ever Korean kingdom. (, ) refers to Sino-Korean vocabulary, wh ...

, indicating different lineages. In a study by the

National Institute of the Korean Language The National Institute of Korean Language is a language regulator of the Korean language. It was created on January 23, 1991, by Presidential Decree No. 13163 (November 14, 1990). It is based in Seoul, South Korea. The institute was originall ...

based on year 2007 application data for South Korean passports, it was found that 87.8% of people with this surname spelled it in Latin letters as Chae in their passports. Another 7.5% spelled it as Chai, 2.8% as Che, and 1.7% as Chea.

Most common (蔡)

(성씨 채 ''songssi chae'') is by far the most common of the three Chae surnames. This character is also used to write the

Chinese family name Chinese surnames are used by Han Chinese and Sinicized ethnic groups in China, Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam, and among overseas Chinese communities around the world such as Singapore and Malaysia. Written Chinese names begin with surnames, unlike the W ...

pronounced Cài () in Mandarin. The 2000 Census found 114,069 people and 35,099 households with this surname, divided among seventeen reported ''

bon-gwan Bon-gwan (or Bongwan) is the concept of clan in Korea, which is used to distinguish clans that happen to share the same family name (clan name). Since Korea has been traditionally a Confucian country, this clan system is similar to ancient Chinese ...

'' (clan hometowns, not necessarily the actual residence of clan members), as well as eighty-six people whose ''bon-gwan'' was not stated: *

Pyonggang P'yŏnggang County is a ''kun'', or county, in Kangwŏn province, North Korea. It borders Sep'o to the north, Ch'ŏrwŏn to the south, Ich'ŏn to the west, and Kimhwa to the east. Physical features A portion of the county is occupied by th ...

, Kangwon (today in North Korea): 69,256 people and 21,373 households They claim descent from Chae Song-nyeon ( 채송년; 蔡松年), an official under

Gojong of Goryeo Gojong of Goryeo (3 February 1192 – 21 July 1259), sometimes spelled Ko-tjong, was the twenty-third ruler of Goryeo in present-day Korea from 1213–1259. Gojong's reign was marked by prolonged conflict with the Mongol Empire, which sough ...

. *

Incheon Incheon (; ; or Inch'ŏn; literally "kind river"), formerly Jemulpo or Chemulp'o (제물포) until the period after 1910, officially the Incheon Metropolitan City (인천광역시, 仁川廣域市), is a city located in northwestern South Kore ...

Gyeonggi Gyeonggi-do (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea. Its name, ''Gyeonggi'', means "京 (the capital) and 畿 (the surrounding area)". Thus, ''Gyeonggi-do'' can be translated as "Seoul and the surrounding areas of Seoul". Seoul, the na ...

(today in South Korea): 37,391 people and 11,415 households They claim descent from Chae Seon-mu (채선무; 蔡先茂), who lived sometime during mid-

Goryeo Dynasty Goryeo (; ) was a Korean kingdom founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korean Peninsula until 1392. Goryeo achieved what has been called a "true national unificati ...

. *Other or unreported ''bon-gwan'': 7,422 people and 2,311 households

Second-most common (菜)

(나물 채 ''namul chae'') is the second-most common of the three Chae surnames. The 2000 Census found 3,516 people and 1,067 households with this surname, divided among two reported ''

'': * Yeongyang,

North Gyeongsang North Gyeongsang Province ( ko, 경상북도, translit=Gyeongsangbuk-do, ) is a province in eastern South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Gyeongsang province, and remained a province of Korea until the ...

(today in South Korea): 1,816 people and 576 households *

Jinju Jinju () is a city in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It was the location of the first (1592) and second (1593) Sieges of Jinju by Japanese forces during the Imjin War. The Republic of Korea Air Force Education and Training Command is ...

South Gyeongsang South Gyeongsang Province ( ko, 경상남도, translit=Gyeongsangnam-do, ) is a province in the southeast of South Korea. The provincial capital is at Changwon. It is adjacent to the major metropolitan center and port of Busan. The UNESCO World ...

: 1,627 people and 483 households *Other or unreported ''bon-gwan'': 73 people and eight households

Least common (采)

(풍채 채 ''pungchae chae'', 캘 채 ''kael chae'') is the least common of the three Chae surnames. The 2000 Census found 1,666 people and 566 households with this surname, with one reported ''

'': *Yeosan: 1,637 people and 562 households *Other or unreported ''bon-gwan'': 29 people and two households

People

People with these family names include: * Esther K. Chae (Chae Kyung-ju), American actress of Korean descent *

Chae Eui-jin Chae Eui-jin is a South Korean voice actress who joined the Tooniverse Voice Acting Division in 1997, which she left for the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation's Voice Acting Division in 1999. Roles Broadcast TV * Futari wa Pretty Cure (Korea TV E ...

(채의진), South Korean voice actor *

Chae Eun-hee Chae Eun-Hee (also ''Chae Eun-Hui'', ko, 채 은희; born June 20, 1982) is a South Korean marathon runner. Chae represented South Korea at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), ...

(채은희, born 1982), South Korean marathon runner * Chae Gwang-jin (채광진, born 1994), South Korean ''League of Legends'' player *

Chae Ho-ki Chae Ho-ki (Hangul: 채호기) is a modern South Korean poet. Life Chae Ho-ki was born on October 13, 1957 in Daegu, South Korea and published his first poem in 1988 and since that time has been considered by South Korean critics as one of the ...

(채호기, 蔡好基, born 1957), South Korean poet * Chae Hyung-won (채형원, 蔡亨源, born 1994), South Korean singer, DJ and member of

Monsta X Monsta X (; stylized as MONSTA X) is a South Korean boy group formed through the reality survival program ''No.Mercy'' under Starship Entertainment. The group is currently composed of six members: Shownu, Minhyuk, Kihyun, Hyungwon, Joohoney ...

* Chae Ji-hoon (채지훈, 蔡智薰, born 1974) South Korean speed skater *

Ji Young Chae Ji Young Chae (; born 1993) is a principal dancer with the Boston Ballet. Biography Ji Young Chae trained ballet at Seoul Arts High School and Korea National University of Arts. Before joining a professional dance company, Young Chae received m ...

(채지영, born 1993), South Korean ballet dancer *

Chae Jung-an Chae Jung-an (born Jang Jung-an on October 21, 1977) is a South Korean actress and singer. Philanthropy On March 11, 2022, Chae made a donation. millions to the Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association to help the victims of the massive wildfi ...

(채정안, 蔡貞安, born Jang Jung-an, 1977), South Korean actress and singer * Junseok Chae (채준석), South Korean engineer and academic administrator * Chae Keun-bae (채근배, 蔡根培, born 1970), South Korean sport shooter * Chae Man-sik (채만식, 蔡萬植, 1902–1950), Korean novelist *

Chae Min-seo Chae Min-seo (born Jo Soo-jin; March 16, 1981) is a South Korean actress. Chae made her acting debut in 2002 with ''Champion'', and has since played leading roles in horror film '' The Wig'' and the indies ''Loner'' (2008), ''Vegetarian Veg ...

(채민서, born Cho Soo-jin, 1981), South Korean actress *

Chae Myung-shin Chae Myung-shin (; November 27, 1926 – November 25, 2013) was a South Korean army officer who commanded South Korean military forces in the Vietnam War. He was also the co-founder of the Korean Taekwondo Association. Early life Chae Myung-s ...

(채명신, 蔡命新, 1926–2013), South Korean army general * Nelson Chai (채주석, Chai Joo-suk, born 1965), American investment banker of Korean descent *

Chae Ri-na Chae Ri-na (; born Bak Hyeon-ju, ; February 3, 1978) is a South Korean singer. She debuted in 1995 as a member of the best-selling co-ed vocal group Roo'ra. She was also a member of the girl group Diva Diva (; ) is the Latin word for a god ...

(채리나, born Park Hyun-joo, 1977), South Korean singer * Chae Shi-ra (채시라, 蔡時那, born 1968), South Korean actress *

Chae Su-chan Suchan Chae, a former member of the National Assembly of Korea, is a professor at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. He also serves as the chairman of the board of the Han River Society. Academic and political career While ...

(채수찬, 蔡秀澯, born 1955), South Korean politician and economist * Chae Sung-bae (채성배, 蔡成培, born 1968), South Korean heavyweight boxer * Chae Sang-byung (채상병, 蔡尙秉, born 1979), South Korean baseball player *

Chae Seon-ah Chae Seon-Ah (; born ) is a South Korean female volleyball player. She was part of the South Korea women's national volleyball team. She participated in the 2015 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Cup The 2015 FIVB Women's World Cup was held from ...

(채선아, born 1992), South Korean volleyball player *

Chea Song-joo Chea Song-joo (Hangul:채송주) (born August 19, 1998) is a South Korean figure skater. She finished 13th at the 2015 Four Continents Championships. Career 2014–15 season Chea competed at the 2014 Lombardia Trophy, obtaining the minimum T ...

(채송주, born 1998), South Korean figure skater *

Chae Sang-woo Chae Sang-woo (born March 31, 1999) is a South Korean actor. He began his acting career in 2008 as a child actor, notably in ''Deep Rooted Tree'' (2011). Filmography Film *''Wretches'' (2018) - Jo Seong-woo *'' The Huntresses'' (2014) - Sa-hyun ...

(채상우, 蔡相宇, born 1999), South Korean actor *

Chae Soo-bin Chae Soo-bin (born Bae Soo-bin on July 10, 1994) is a South Korean actress. She gained recognition for her role in the television series ''Love in the Moonlight'' (2016), and transitioned into leading roles with '' The Rebel'' (2017), ''Stronge ...

(채수빈, 蔡秀彬, born Bae Soo-bin, 1994), South Korean actress * Chae YuJung (채유정, 蔡侑玎, born 1995). South Korea badminton player

In given names

There are 17 hanja with the reading Chae on the South Korean government's official list of hanja which may be registered for use in given names; they are: # (나물 채 ): vegetable # (캘 채 ): to lift # (채색 채 ): colour # (빚 채 ): debt # (풍채 채 , 캘 채 ): appearance # (사패지 채 ): fief # (녹봉 채 ): stipend # (성씨 채 ): used as a family name (originally a species of tortoise) # (비단 채 ): silk # (목책 채 ): wooden fence # (옥빛 채 ): brightness of jade # (진터 채 ): fort # (비녀 채 ): ''

binyeo A ( Hangul: ; ) is a Korean traditional hairpin for fixing ladies' chignons. Its main purpose is to pin the chignon in place, but it also serves as ornamentation, and it has different usages or names according to its material or shape. Therefor ...

'' (traditional Korean hairpin) # (빚 채 ): debt # (참나무 채 ): oak tree # (여자의 자 채 ): used in women's names # (주목할 채 ): to watch Korean given names containing the element Chae include: * Chae-won (feminine) *

Chae-yeon Chae-yeon also spelled Chae-yun or Chae-yon is a Korean feminine given name. The meaning differs based on the hanja used to write each syllable of the name. There are 17 hanja with the reading " chae" and 56 hanja with the reading "yeon" on the So ...

(feminine) * Chae-young (feminine) * Eun-chae (feminine)

References

{{Authority control Korean-language surnames