O or Oh is a

family name In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community. Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...

in Korea. It is written using the hanja characters, 吳, 五, 伍, 吾, and 晤. According to the 2015 census in South Korea, there were 763,281 people carrying the O surname.

History

O also spelled Oh ( Hangul: ) is the Korean form of the

Chinese surname 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 ...

Wu ( Hanja: ). The character 吳 is phonetically pronounced "Oh" in Korean, but "Wu" in Mandarin Chinese, however the historic origin of the surname is the same. The name originates from the ancient state of Wu in present-day province of Jiangsu. Wu (, , "Oh" or "O" romanization) is the sixth name listed in the Song Dynasty classic '' Hundred Family Surnames''. In the 13th century BC, the state of Zhou (which will later become the Zhou Dynasty) was ruled by Tai Wang (King Tai of Zhou). His surname was originally Ji (). He had three sons: Taibo, Zhongyong, and Jili. King Tai of Zhou favored the youngest son, Jili to inherit the reins of power, therefore Taibo and his brother Zhongyong voluntarily left Zhou with a group of followers and headed southeast where they established the state of Wu. Taibo and Zhongyong's descendants eventually adopted Wu () as their surname. The state of Wu, which later claimed to be a kingdom of its own, was best known for its military prowess as Sun Tzu, the author of the famed book '' The Art of War'', was the country's general serving under King Helü of Wu. Wu is also generally attributed to developing the first Chinese Navy. This Navy was quite complex and had different classes of ships. These "classes" of ships were the great wing (da yi), the little wing (xiao yi), the stomach striker (tu wei), the

castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

ship (lou chuan), and the bridge ship (qiao chuan). These were listed in the ''Yuejueshu'' (''Lost Records of the State of Yue'') as a written dialogue between King Helü of Wu (r. 514 BC–496 BC) and Wu Zixu (526 BC–484 BC) in which the latter stated:

Nowadays in training naval forces we use the tactics of land forces for the best effect. Thus great wing ships correspond to the army's heavy
chariot A chariot is a type of cart driven by a charioteer, usually using horses to provide rapid motive power. The oldest known chariots have been found in burials of the Sintashta culture in modern-day Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, dated to c. 2000&nbs ...
s, little wing ships to light chariots, stomach strikers to battering rams, castle ships to mobile assault towers, and bridge ships to light
cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...
.

King Helu of Wu is considered to be one of the Five Hegemons of China during the Spring and Autumn period. Taibo and Zhongyong's youngest brother Jili stayed to rule the Zhou state and was the grandfather of Wu Wang (King Wu of Zhou) who started the Zhou Dynasty after successfully overthrowing the Shang Dynasty. The descendants of Wu Wang eventually changed their surname from Ji () to Zhou () during the Qin Dynasty to commemorate the merits and virtues of their ancestors. Therefore, the last names Wu (, "Oh" in Korean), Zhou (,"Chou"), and Ji (, "Chi" - original surname of the Zhou Dynasty's royals) are historically related. Wu Ch'om (Hangul:오첨, Hanja:呉膺), a 45th generation descendant of the famed Chinese general and strategist Wu Qi, migrated to Korea from China during the reign of Shilla's King Jijeung (500-514 AD). He is the ancestor of all 16 Korean "Oh" clans. His direct descendant, Oh Da-ryeon (Hangul:오다련, Hanja:呉多憐) was the magistrate of the province of Naju and helped

Taejo of Goryeo Taejo of Goryeo (31 January 877 – 4 July 943), also known as Taejo Wang Geon (; ), was the founder of the Goryeo dynasty, which ruled Korea from the 10th to the 14th century. Taejo ruled from 918 to 943, achieving unification of the Later Three ...

to establish the

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 ...

and was the father of Queen Janghwa of Goryeo. Queen Janghwa gave birth to King Hyejong of Goryeo who was the second king of Goryeo. The O (or Oh) family of North Korea is a North Korean family whose members have been considered close to the ruling

Kim family The Kim family or Kim clan may refer to: People * The Kim family (North Korea), the rulers of North Korea since Kim Il Sung in 1948 * The Gimhae Kim clan associated with the Geumgwan Gaya * The later rulers of Silla, who were mostly members of the ...

over several generations because of

O Jung-hup O Jung-hup (1910–1939) was a North Korean military officer, who, according to the North Korean regime, fought the Japanese with Kim Il-sung. O was born into a poor family in Seson-ri, Onsong County of North Hamgyong Province, on 10 July 1910 ...

, who was a revolutionary fighter closely associated with Kim Il-sung. They are regarded as being highly influential in the North Korean regime and second only to the Kim's. Each of the five biggest clans traces its founder back to: *

Haeju Oh Clan Haeju Oh clan () is a Korean clan. Their Bon-gwan is in Haeju, Hwanghae Province. , the clan has a membership of 422735. Their founder was , who was the governor of Haeju county during the era of Goryeo Goryeo (; ) was a Korean kingdom foun ...

: Oh Heyon-bo, the governor of Haeju County during the era of Goryeo * Dongbok Oh Clan: Oh Hyeon-jwa, the governor of Dongbok County during the era of Goryeo * Boseong Oh Clan: Oh Hyun-pil, the governor of

Boseong Boseong County (''Boseong-gun'') is a county in South Jeolla Province, South Korea. Boseong is famous for its green tea leaves, with 26.71 hectares of land dedicated to its production. It is also the birthplace of the Korean independence activ ...

County during the era of Goryeo * Hamyang Oh Clan: Oh Gwang-hwi, the official during the era of Goryeo * Gunwi Oh Clan: Oh Suk-gwi, the second son of Oh Hyeon-jwa who later became the governor of

Gunwi Gunwi County (''Gunwi-gun'') is a county in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. Administrative divisions Gunwi County is divided into 1 eup and 7 myeon. Climate Gunwi has a humid continental climate (Köppen: ''Dwa''), but can be conside ...

county during the era of Goryeo

Global Distribution

In 2000, the people with the surname Oh in the United States was estimated to be 2,477 people. Most Koreans in the US prefer the surname Oh rather than O as a single letter name can often be misunderstood as an abbreviation or misprinting.

List of people with the surname

* Cédric O, French politician, Secretary of State for Digital Affairs * Delphine O, French politician, member of the National Assembly for Paris's 16th constituency *

David Oh David Henry Oh (born March 8, 1960) is an American attorney and politician who served as a Republican member of the Philadelphia City Council from 2012 to 2023. He was the first Asian American elected to the city council. Oh was the Republican ...

, Korean American politician *

Felicia Oh Felicia Linda Oh (born in Seattle, Washington, on December 13, 1967) is an American submission grappling competitor and martial arts instructor. Oh earned her black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under senior instructor Jean Jacques Machado. Biog ...

, American black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and submission grappling competitor *

Hee Oh Hee Oh ( ko, 오희, born 1969) is a South Korean mathematician who works in dynamical systems. She has made contributions to dynamics and its connections to number theory. She is a student of homogeneous dynamics and has worked extensively on cou ...

, South Korean mathematician * Sandra Oh, Canadian-American actress * Oh Bong-Jin, South Korean footballer * Oh Dae-gyu, South Korean actor * Oh Dae-hwan, South Korean actor * Oh Dae-keun, South Korean field hockey player * Oh Dal-su, South Korean actor *

Oh Eun-seok Oh Eun-seok (; born 2 April 1983) is a South Korean retired sabre fencer. He is an Olympic and Asian Games gold medalist in the team event. Early life A native of Daegu, Oh was a former runner and took up fencing in middle school. He attended ...

, South Korean sabre fencer *

Oh Eun-sun Oh, OH, or Oh! is an interjection, often proclaiming surprise. It may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Albums * ''Oh!'' (Girls' Generation album), 2010 * ''Oh!'' (ScoLoHoFo album), 2003 * ''OH (ohio)'', by Lambchop, 2008 * ''Oh!'', an E ...

, South Korean mountaineer * Oh Eun-young, South Korean TV Host, model and beauty pageant titleholder * Oh Ha-young, South Korean actress and singer, member of girl group Apink *

Oh Hyuk Oh Hyuk (Hangul: 오혁, stylised OHHYUK, born October 5, 1993) is a South Korean singer and musician best known as the lead vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter of indie rock band Hyukoh. Background Born in South Korea, Oh moved to ...

, South Korean singer, member of indie rock band Hyukoh * Raina (born Oh Hye-rin), South Korean singer, member of girl group After School *

Oh In-kyun Oh In-Kyun (born 29 January 1985) is a South Korean former professional footballer as a midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, ...

, South Korean footballer *

Oh Jae-il Oh Jae-il (Hangul: 오재일, Hanja: 吳在一; born October 29, 1986) is a South Korean professional baseball infielder for the Samsung Lions of the KBO League. He won the MVP award in the 2017 playoffs against NC with four home runs and n ...

, South Korean baseball player * Oh Jae-moo, South Korean actor * Oh Jae-suk, South Korean footballer *

Oh Jae-seong Oh Jae-Seong (born ) is a South Korean male volleyball player. He is part of the South Korea men's national volleyball team. On club level he plays for Kepco 45. References External links profile
at ''FIVB.org'' 1992 births Living people S ...

, South Korean volleyball player *

Oh Jae-won Oh Jae-won (born February 9, 1985) is a retired South Korean professional baseball infielder who spent his entire career with the Doosan Bears of the KBO League. He graduated from Yatap High School and was selected by the Doosan Bears in a 20 ...

, South Korean baseball player *

Oh Jang-eun Oh Jang-Eun ( ko, 오장은; born 24 July 1985) is a football player from South Korea. He was selected to play for Asian Cup 2007, replacing Kim Nam-Il after his injury. Club career In 2002, Oh Jang-Eun debuted for Japanese J1 League side FC ...

, South Korean footballer * Oh Ji-eun, South Korean actress *

Oh Ji-ho Oh Ji-ho (born April 14, 1976) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for the television dramas '' Couple or Trouble'' (2006), '' The Slave Hunters'' (2010), ''Queen of the Office'' (2013) and ''My Fair Lady'' (2016). Career Oh was born and r ...

, South Korean actor and model *

Oh Ji-hwan Oh Ji-hwan (Hangul: 오지환, Hanja: 吳志煥; born March 12, 1990, in Gunsan, Jeollabuk-do) is a South Korean shortstop who plays for the LG Twins in the KBO League. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed. Amateur career While attend ...

, South Korean baseball player * J-Min (born Oh Ji-Min) South Korean singer *

Oh Ji-young (golfer) Ji-Young Oh ( ko, 오지영, born 3 July 1988) is a South Korean professional golfer currently playing on the LPGA Tour. Amateur career Oh started playing golf at the age of 12 and was named to the Korean National Team in 2005 at the age of 1 ...

, South Korean professional golfer *

Oh Ji-young Oh Ji-young (Hangul: 오지영, Hanja: 吳智永; born 11 July 1988) is a South Korean professional volleyball player. She was part of the silver medal-winning team at the 2010 Asian Games. She was part of the South Korea women's nationa ...

, South Korean professional volleyball player * Oh Jin-hyek, South Korean archer * O Jin-u (1917-1995), North Korean marshal and

Politburo A politburo () or political bureau is the executive committee for communist parties. It is present in most former and existing communist states. Names The term "politburo" in English comes from the Russian ''Politbyuro'' (), itself a contraction ...

member * Oh Jong-hyuk, South Korean singer and actor *

Oh Joo-ho Oh Joo-ho (born 2 April 1992) is a South Korean footballer who plays for Shillong Lajong in the I-League from last two season. Career Oh Juho from the Republic of Korea has played in Korean leagues since 2008. He also played for National Poli ...

, South Korean footballer *

Oh Ju-hyun Oh Ju-Hyun (; born 2 April 1987) is a South Korean former professional football player. He was a midfielder for Daegu FC in the K-League before being implicated in the 2011 South Korean football betting scandal. He later played for another K-L ...

, South Korean football midfielder *

Oh Ju-won Oh Ju-won (Hangul: 오주원; born March 31, 1985) is a South Korean relief pitcher who plays for the Kiwoom Heroes of the KBO League. He bats and throws left-handed. Amateur career While attending Cheongwon High School in Seoul, Oh was cons ...

, South Korean baseball pitcher *

Oh Joo-yeon Oh Joo-yeon () is a South Korean voice actress who joined the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation's voice acting division in 1997. Roles Broadcast TV *Ojamajo Doremi (Magical Remi from 1st - 3rd Series, Korea TV Edition, MBC and TV Special of Korea ...

, South Korean voice actress *

Oh Joon Oh Joon (; born 4 October 1955) is the former South Korean Ambassador to the United Nations (UN). He became South Korean Ambassador to the United Nations in September 2013. From July 24, 2015 to July 28, 2016, he was the 71st President of the ...

, South Korean ambassador to the United Nations *

Junggeun Oh Junggeun Oh, also Oh Jung Geun ( ko, 오정근; born 27 September 1970, in Seoul, South Korea), is a Korean painter. Living in Berlin since 2004 he paints artworks of a modern minimalism mixing abstraction with realism. The artist is represented ...

, South Korean artist *

(1910–1939), North Korean military officer * Oh Jung-se, South Korean actor *

Oh Man-seok Oh Man-seok (born January 30, 1975) is a South Korean actor. Best known for playing the titular transgender singer in rock musical '' Hedwig and the Angry Inch'', Oh's acting career spans theater, television and film. Career Theater beginnings ...

, South Korean actor *

Oh Min-keun Min-Keun Oh (Hangul: 오민근, Hanja: 吳民根) (born August 15, 1962) is a South Korean former boxer. Amateur career In 1979, Oh won the silver medal in featherweight at the inaugural World Junior Amateur Boxing Championships held in Yokoha ...

, South Korean former boxer * Oh Min-suk, South Korean actor * Oh Sang-uk, South Korean fencer *

Oh Sangwon Oh Sangwon (Hangul: 오상원) was a South Korean writer and journalist."Oh Sangwon" LTI Korea Datasheet available at LTI Korea Library or online at: Life Oh Sangwon was born on November 5, 1930, in Seoncheon, Pyeonganbuk-do, Korea. Oh gradu ...

, South Korean author * Oh Se-hoon, South Korean politician * Oh Se-hun, South Korean rapper and actor, member of boy group Exo *

Oh Seung-bum Oh Seung-bum (Hangul: 오승범; born 26 February 1981) is a former South Korean footballer, who played as midfielder for Gangwon FC in K League 1. His previous clubs include Seongnam Ilhwa, Gwangju Sangmu (military service), Pohang Steele ...

, South Korean football midfielder *

Oh Seung-hoon Oh Seung-hoon (; born June 30, 1988) is a South Korean football player who plays for Daegu FC Daegu FC (Korean: 대구 FC) is a South Korean professional football club based in Daegu. The club was founded as a community club at the end of 20 ...

, South Korean footballer * Oh Seung-hoon (actor), South Korean actor and model *

Seung-hwan Oh Seung-hwan Oh (Hangul: ; ; ; born July 15, 1982) is a South Korean professional baseball relief pitcher for the Samsung Lions of the KBO League. He previously played for the Lions in South Korea, the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Bas ...

, South Korean baseball pitcher *

Oh Seung-lip Oh Seung-Lip (, born 6 October 1946) is a Korean former judoka who competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and commonly known as Munich 1972 (german: Münc ...

, South Korean judo practitioner *

Oh Seung-shin Oh Seung-Shin (born 14 March 1972) is a South Korean former field hockey player who competed in the 1996 Summer Olympics and in the 2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as ...

, South Korean field hockey player * Oh Seung-soon, South Korean fencer * Oh Seung-yoon, South Korean actor *

Oh Seong-ok Oh Seong-Ok (born October 10, 1972) is a South Korean handball player who is the first Korean woman to compete at five Olympics (1992 to 2008). In 1992, she was part of the South Korean team, which won the gold medal. She played all fi ...

, South Korean

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the g ...

player * Oh Taeseok, South Korean playwright and director *

Oh Takbeon Oh Takbeon (Hangul: 오탁번; 3 July 1943 – 15 February 2023) was a South Korean writer, poet, and critic. Life Oh Takbeon was born 3 July 1943, in Jecheon, Chungcheongbuk-do, Korea. He attended Korea University, where he studied Korean lit ...

, South Korean poet, author and critic *

Oh Yeon-ah Oh Yeon-ah (born Kim Mi-ae on December 1, 1981) is a South Korean actress. She has played many supporting roles in both films and television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a televisi ...

, South Korean actress *

Oh Yeon-ho Oh Yeon-ho (born 18 September 1964) is the founder of "citizen journalism" in South Korea, and CEO of OhmyNews a new approach to cyber-journalism in which ordinary citizens can contribute to a major news organization through being at news events ...

, South Korean journalist *

Oh Yun-kyo Oh Yun-kyo (May 25, 1960 – September 27, 2000) was a South Korean retired footballer. He appeared on the South Korea national football team at the 1986 FIFA World Cup. Honours Hanyang University * Korean National Championship runner-up: 19 ...

(1960–2000), South Korean footballer * Oh Yeon-seo, South Korean actress *

Oh Young-ki Oh Young-Ki (born November 11, 1965) is a male South Korean former handball player who competed in the 1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and commonly known as Seo ...

, South Korean handball player *

O Yoon Oh Yoon (, April 13, 1946 – July 5, 1986) was a South Korean painter whose pieces focused on peoples' art. It was set during the 1980s when military officials seized power and repressed opposition, notably in the Gwangju massacre in 1980. Hence ...

(1946–1986), South Korean painter * Oh Yoon-ah, South Korean actress *

Oh Youn-hyung Oh Youn-hyung (born 29 October 1984) is a South Korean rugby union player. He plays as a fly-half for the South Korea national team. External links 1984 births Living people South Korean rugby union players Rugby union fly-halves Korea ...

, South Korean rugby union player *

Oh Yoon-kyung Oh Yoon-kyung (6 August 1941 – before 2002) was a North Korean football defender and midfielder who played for the national team in the 1966 FIFA World Cup. He also played for the 8 August Sports Club. Early life Oh was born on 6 August 1 ...

, North Korean former football defender *

Oh Yon-kyung Oh Yoon-kyung (born 5 November 1971) is a retired South Korean female volleyball player. She was part of the South Korea women's national volleyball team. She participated in the 1994 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship. She attended ...

, South Korean former volleyball player *

Oh Yun-suk Oh Yun-suk (born 1 March 1984) is a South Korean male handball player who competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olymp ...

, South Korean handball player *

Oh Yong-ran Oh Yong-Ran (born 6 September 1972), also spelled as Oh Yeong-Ran, is a South Korean handball player who competed in the 1996, 2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United State ...

, South Korean handball player *

O Yeong-su (writer) O Yeong-su or Oh Young-Soo (; 11 February 1909 – 15 May 1979) was a South Korean writer. Life Korean author O Yeong-su was born in Eonyang (Ulsan County, South Kyongsang Province) on February 11, 1909, and in his early life attended a sod ...

(1909-1979), South Korean novelist * O Yeong-su (actor), South Korean actor *

Oh Uhtaek Oh Uhtaek or Oh Woo-Taek (born June 29, 1955) is a Korean physiologist. He is also a professor at College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University. His research is largely known for Cardiac Pain and other Visceral Pain Mechanism and as well as clo ...

, South Korean physiologist

References

{{surname Korean-language surnames

History

Global Distribution

List of people with the surname

See also

References