Sin or Shin is a Korean family name. It is cognate to the Chinese family names Shēn (申) and Xin (辛). According to the 2000 census in South Korea, there were 911,556 people with the surname ''Sin''.

Clans

There are three Chinese characters that can be read as ''Sin''. Between these three characters, there are six different Korean clans, each of which descends from a different ancestral founder. One of the six, the

Yeongsan Sin clan The Yeongsan Sin clan or Yeongsan Shin clan () is one of the Korean clans. Their Bon-gwan (clan location) is in Changnyeong County, South Gyeongsang Province. According to some of the most recent research as of 2015, the number of members in th ...

, traces its origins to

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

. Members of the various Sin clans can be found throughout the Korean peninsula. As with other Korean family names, the holders of the "Sin" family name are divided into various clans, each known by the name of a town or city, called '' bon-gwan'' in Korean. Usually that town or city is the one where the clan's founder lived. The six Sin branches are as follows: * Pyeongsan Sin clan () * Goryeong Sin clan () * Aju Sin clan () * Saknyeong Sin clan () *

() * Samgal Sin clan () * Geochang Sin clan () Although the first four clans — Pyeongsan, Goryeong, Aju, and Saknyeong — share the same Chinese character ( 申), they are unrelated in heritage. The Pyeongsan Sin clan lineage makes up about 70% of all those with the surname Sin using the Chinese character 申. The clan's founder was General Sin Sung-gyeom. This clan associated with a mountain in North Korea called "Pyeongsan" (, literally "mountain of peace"). The mountain was originally named ''Samneungsan'' (, literally "mountain of three talents"), without a family name, before being linked to the Sin surname by King

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 ...

. According to the Pyeongsan Sin family legend, one day when King Taejo and his generals went out hunting near Pyeongsan, Taejo saw three geese flying above, and asked his generals whether any of them could shoot the geese down. Sin Sung-gyeom volunteered and asked Taejo which one he should shoot. Taejo asked Shin to shoot the third goose in its left wing and, to Taejo's surprise, Sin successfully felled the goose. Highly impressed, Taejo gifted Sin with 300 ''gyeol'' (, an ancient measurement of area) of local land, which became Sin's hometown. Sin Sung-gyeom also saved the life of King

during a disastrous battle with Hubaekje near present-day

Daegu Daegu (, , literally 'large hill', 대구광역시), formerly spelled Taegu and officially known as the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea. It is the third-largest urban agglomeration in South Korea after Seoul and Busan; it is ...

in the early

10th century The 10th century was the period from 901 ( CMI) through 1000 ( M) in accordance with the Julian calendar, and the last century of the 1st millennium. In China the Song dynasty was established. The Muslim World experienced a cultural zenith, ...

. Taejo awarded General Sin the clan name Pyeongsan Sin, after his hometown, for the loyalty and bravery he showed in the battle. Other prominent members of this clan include the 16th-century artist, writer, and poet Shin Saimdang and the 19th-century '' pansori'' writer

Shin Jae-hyo Shin Jae-hyo (; 1812–1884) was a theoretician and adapter of ''pansori'' in the late Joseon Dynasty. While not a famous singer of pansori, he contributed much to its development. He organized and recorded the six stories of pansori: ''Chunhyangga' ...

. Every year, a number of descendants of the Pyeongsan Sin clan gather at the memorial shrine of Sin Sung-gyeom in the South Korean province of Gangwon Province. Prior to the Korean war, the original shrine was situated in the now North-Korean province of Hwanghae Province, to which the clan land of Pyeongsan traces its roots. Another well-known family line that also uses the Chinese character 申 is the Goryeong Sin clan, descended from Shin Suk-ju, the lead scholar working with King

Sejong the Great Sejong of Joseon (15 May 1397 – 8 April 1450), personal name Yi Do (Korean: 이도; Hanja: 李祹), widely known as Sejong the Great (Korean: 세종대왕; Hanja: 世宗大王), was the fourth ruler of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. Initial ...

in the development of Hangul, the Korean written language. Shin Suk-ju was also a high ranking government minister and belonged to the Hall of Worthies. The Goryeong Sin lineage makes up about 17% of all those with the surname (). Three of five members of Shin Suk-ju's 16th generation are known to have immigrated to the United States in the 1970s, such as the physician David Sheen. Another prominent member of the clan is Danjae Shin Chaeho, a 19th-century nationalist historian.

List of Sins

Historical

* Sin Sung-gyeom (died 927), general of the Later Three Kingdoms period. * Sin Don (辛, died 1371), Buddhist monk and regent of the reign of King Gongmin of Goryeo. *

Sin Suk-ju Shin Suk-ju ( ko, 신숙주, hanja: ; August 2, 1417 – July 23, 1475) was a Korean people, Korean politician during the Joseon Dynasty. He served as Prime Minister from 1461 to 1466 and again from 1471 to 1475. He came from the Goryeong Sh ...

(1417-1475), scholar and government minister *

Sin Saimdang Shin Saimdang (Hangul: 신사임당, Hanja: 申師任堂; 29 October 1504 – 17 May 1551) was a Korean artist, writer, calligraphist, and poet, who lived during the Joseon period. She was born in Gangneung, Gangwon Province. Her birth home, ...

(1504–1551), painter, calligrapher,

Yi Yulgok Yi Yi (; December 26, 1536 – February 27, 1584) was a Korean philosopher, writer, and Korean Confucianism, Confucian scholar of the Joseon Dynasty. Yi I is often referred to by his pen name Yulgok ("Chestnut valley"). He was also a politici ...

's mother *

Shin Gwang-su (poet) Sin Gwang-su (1712–1775) was a poet of the late Joseon Dynasty. Living in the time of King Yeongjo, he was unable to attain a position of rank because his family was aligned with the Southerners faction. He married the daughter of Yun Duseo a ...

(1712–1775), poet * Sin Yun-bok (1758–?), painter also known as "Hyewon" *

Sin Chaeho Sin Chaeho, or Shin Chae-ho (; November 7, 1880 – February 21, 1936), was a Korean independence activist, historian, anarchist, nationalist, and a founder of Korean nationalist historiography (민족 사학, ''minjok sahak''; sometimes shortene ...

(1880–1936), Korean independence activist, historian, nationalist and the founder of the nationalist historiography of Korea *

Shin Sung-mo Shin Song-mo or Shin Sung-mo ( ko, 신성모, October 20, 1891 – May 29, 1960) was an acting prime minister in 1950 following the first prime minister of South Korea, Lee Beom-seok. He served as a Defence Minister during the Korean War. Biogr ...

(1891–1960), politician * Shin Hyun-joon (1915–2007), military officer and diplomat * Shin Ik-hee, politician (1st and 2nd National Assembly Chairman of Republic of Korea, opposition party leader, presidential candidate) * Shin Kyuk-Ho (辛, 1922–2020), CEO and founder of Lotte Corporation

Contemporary

* Paull Shin (1935–2021), South Korean-American politician and member of the Washington State Senate * Shin Dong-yeol (born 1980), South Korean rapper *

Shin Jae Chul Jae-chul Shin (; 20 December 1936 – 9 July 2012) was a Korean martial artist and founder of the World Tang Soo Do Association. Biography Jae-chul Shin began his study of martial arts in 1948 joining the Seoul Moo Duk Kwan, Moo Duk Kwan Ce ...

(born 1936), martial artist * Shin Jung-hyeon (born 1938), rock guitarist and singer-songwriter * Nelson Shin (born 1939), founder and president of Akom Production, Ltd. *

Shin Suk-ja Shin Suk-ja (also spelled Shin Sook-ja; born 1942) is a South Korean woman who is currently imprisoned, along with her daughters, in North Korea after her husband Oh Kil-nam defected from North Korea to Denmark, having been given a political as ...

(, born 1942), is a South Korean political prisoner held in a North Korean political prison camp *

Sin Son Ho Sin Son-ho ( ko, 신선호; ; born July 5, 1948) is a North Korean diplomat who has been North Korea's Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 2008 to February 2014, until he was replaced by Ja Song-nam.

(, born 1948), North Korean diplomat and Permanent Representative to the United Nations. *

Oleksandr Sin Oleksandr Chyensanovych Sin ( uk, Олександр Чєнсанович Сін, russian: Алекса́ндр Ченса́нович Син, translit=Aleksandr Chensanovich Sin, ko, 올렉산드르 신; born on April 12, 1961, in Ordzhonikidz ...

(born 1961), Ukrainian politician and former mayor of Zaporizhia *

Shin Youngok Youngok Shin (also spelled Young-Ok Shin and Young Ok Shin: born July 3, 1961 in Seoul, South Korea) is a South Korean lyric coloratura soprano known for her interpretations of the bel canto repertoire. Early life and education Shin was born ...

(born 1961) South Korean classical soprano singer * Shin Joon-Sup (1963), South Korean middleweight amateur boxer and Olympic Gold Medalist * Shin Daechul (born 1967), South Korean rock/heavy metal guitarist and leader of Sinawe *

Shin Hae Chul Shin Hae-chul (Hangul: 신해철; May 6, 1968 – October 27, 2014) was a South Korean singer-songwriter and record producer known for being a pioneer of Korean experimental rock music. He was referred to by fans as the "Demon Lord" or "The Dev ...

(1968-2014), singer *

Shin Hong-Gi Shin Hong-gi (born 4 May 1968; ) is a South Korean former professional footballer. He played as a left-back for Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i and Suwon Samsung Bluewings. He was also selected for the South Korea national football team for the 1994 FIF ...

(born 1968), South Korean former football player * Shin Hyun-joon (born 1968), South Korean actor * Shin Seung Hun (born 1968), South Korean ballad singer *

Shin Ae-ra Shin Ae-ra (born March 7, 1969) is a South Korean actress. She made her acting debut in 1989, and has since played leading roles in television dramas such as ''Love in Your Arms'' and ''Bad Housewife''. She married actor Cha In-pyo in 1995, and ...

(born 1969), actress * Shin Tae-Yong (born 1970), South Korean attacking midfield footballer * Shin Dong-yup (born 1971), South Korean comedian and host *

Shin Jeong-ah Shin Jeong-ah (born 28 April 1972) is a South Korean woman who lied about her academic background to become an assistant art professor at Dongguk University and chief curator at Sungkok Art Museum. She created an international scandal shortly a ...

(born 1972), survivor of the

Sampoong Department Store collapse On June 29, 1995, the Sampoong Department Store in Seoul, South Korea, collapsed due to a structural failure. The collapse killed 502 people and injured 937, making it the largest peacetime disaster in South Korean history. It was the deadlie ...

who later lied about her academic credentials *

Nelly Shin Nelly Shin (born 1972) is a Canadian politician who was elected as a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of Canada for Port Moody—Coquitlam as a member of the Conservative Party of Canada. Shin is the first Korean-Canadian to be e ...

(born 1972), first Korean-Canadian Member of Parliament *

Shin Ha-kyun Shin may refer to: Biology * The front part of the human leg below the knee * Shinbone, the tibia, the larger of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates Names * Shin (given name) (Katakana: シン, Hiragana: しん), a Japanese g ...

(born 1974), South Korean actor *

Shin Jung-hwan Shin Jung-hwan (Hangul: 신정환; born 10 May 1974) is a South Korean singer and entertainer. He debuted as a singer in 1994 as a member of the K-pop group Roo'ra, and later became a frequent guest on South Korean variety shows. His career w ...

(, born 1975), Korean singer and entertainer * Shin Myung-Chul (born 1978), second baseman in Korean baseball *

Shin Hye Sung Jung Pil-kyo (; born November 27, 1979) is a South Korean singer-songwriter. He is best known as a member of the South Korean boy group Shinhwa. The main vocalist of Shinhwa, he debuted as a solo artist in 2005 and has since released multiple ...

(born 1979), member of the group

Shinhwa Shinhwa () is a South Korean six-member boy band based in Seoul, composed of Eric Mun, Lee Min-woo, Kim Dong-wan, Shin Hye-sung, Jun Jin, and Andy Lee. Launched by SM Entertainment on March 24, 1998, the group signed with Good Entertainment in ...

* Crush, (born Shin Hyo-seob, 1992), singer, rapper * Outsider (born Shin Ok-Cheol, 1983), singer *

Shin Hwa-Yong Shin Hwa-Yong ( ko, 신화용; Hanja: 申和容; born 13 April 1983) is a South Korean footballer who plays as a goalkeeper. He previously played for Pohang Steelers from 2004 to 2016. Honours Club ;Pohang Steelers *K League 1: 2007, 2013 *K L ...

(born 1983), South Korean football player *

Shin KwangHo Shin Kwangho () is a South Korean painter currently based in Seoul. He studied art at Keimyung University. He paints distorted portraits, which he creates using oil, acrylic Acrylic may refer to: Chemicals and materials * Acrylic acid, th ...

(born 1983), South Korean artist *

Shin Min Ah Shin Min-a (; born 5 April 1984) is a South Korean model and actress best known for starring in television dramas ''A Love to Kill'' (2005), ''My Girlfriend Is a Nine-Tailed Fox'' (2010), '' Arang and the Magistrate'' (2012), ''Oh My Venus'' ...

(born 1984), South Korean actress and model. * Shindong (born Shin Donghee, 1985), singer, dancer, member of

Super Junior Super Junior (; stylized in all caps), also known as SJ or SuJu, is a South Korean boy band formed by Lee Soo-man, the founder of SM Entertainment in 2005. They are also dubbed by the media as the "King of Hallyu Wave" due to their prominent ...

* Shin Hyung-Min (born 1986), South Korea football player * Shin Kwang-Hoon (born 1987), South Korean football defender * Shin Young-Rok (, born 1987), South Korean football player *

Jiyai Shin Jiyai Shin (Korean: 신지애 ''Shin Ji-ae'', ; born 28 April 1988) is a former world No. 1 ranked South Korean professional golfer who primarily plays on the LPGA of Japan Tour as of the 2020 golf season. She previously played primarily on the ...

(born 1988), professional golfer *

Shin Baek-cheol Shin Baek-cheol (Hangul: 신백철; born 19 October 1989) is a mixed and men's doubles badminton player from South Korea. He is a World, Asian and World Junior Champions, as well a gold medalists in the Asian Games and Summer Universiade. Care ...

(born 1989), South Korean badminton player * Sin Joon-sik (born 1980), South Korean taekwondoist and Olympic silver medalist *

Shin Se-kyung Shin Se-kyung (; born July 29, 1990) is a South Korean actress, singer and model. She started as a child actress and had her breakthrough in 2009 with the sitcom ''High Kick Through the Roof''. Since then she starred in the films ''Hindsight'' ...

(born 1990), South Korean actress *

Shin Dongho Shin Dong-ho (born June 29, 1994) is a former South Korean singer who acquired fame as a singer of the boy group U-KISS. Dongho was the most active member of the group, appearing in a great many reality shows and other productions. He joined U ...

(born 1994), South Korean singer, ex-member of South Korean boy band U-KISS * Shin Ji-soo (born 1994), South Korean singer and actress, ex-member of South Korean girl group D.Heaven *

Shin Kuhn Shin Kuhn (12 February 1941 – 24 November 2015) was a Korean lawyer and politician who was the 25th director of the National Intelligence Service of South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in Ea ...

(), past director general of

National Intelligence Service (South Korea) The National Intelligence Service (NIS; Korean: 국가정보원, 국정원) is the chief intelligence agency of South Korea. The agency was officially established in 1961 as the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA; Korean: 중앙정보� ...

Peter Shin Peter Shin is an American animator, director, and producer who served as supervising director of '' Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story'', the director of '' Big Bug Man'', the director of '' Family Guy'' episodes "Death Has a Shadow" (the series prem ...

, director of animation films, most notably "

Family Guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show centers around the Griffin family, Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter Griff ...

" *

Hyejeong Shin Hye-jeong, better known mononymously as Hyejeong, is a South Korean singer and actress. She is best known as a member of the South Korean girl group AOA. Early life Hyejeong competed in a supermodel pageant until the 3rd preliminary rou ...

(Sin Hyejeong, born 1993), singer and actress, member of South Korean girl group AOA *

Shin Jimin Shin Ji-min (; born January 8, 1991), better known mononymously as Jimin, is a South Korean rapper and singer. She was the leader and main rapper of the girl group AOA, which debuted in 2012 under FNC Entertainment. In 2015, Jimin was a semi-f ...

(born 1991), former singer and rapper, former member of South Korean girl group AOA * Shin Dongwoo, South Korean singer, member of South Korean boy group B1A4 * Shin Dong-hyuk (申, born 1982), is a North Korean refugee and human rights activist living in South Korea *

Shin Hyun-soo Shin Hyun-soo (born July 8, 1989) is a South Korean actor. He began his career in acting through musicals before starring in television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television se ...

(born 1989), South Korean actor * Shin Won-ho (born 1991), South Korean actor and member of South Korean multinational boy band Cross Gene * Peniel Shin (born 1993), South Korean singer, rapper, member of South Korean boy band

BtoB } BtoB ( ; ; acronym for Born to Beat; often stylized as BTOB) is a South Korean boy band formed in 2012 by Cube Entertainment. The group consists of Seo Eun-kwang, Lee Min-hyuk, Lee Chang-sub, Im Hyun-sik, Peniel Shin and Yook Sung-jae. Or ...

Jeena Shin Jeena Shin (born 1973) is a New Zealand painter. Her work is geometric in style, and often monochromatic. Many of her projects are large scale and painted directly on the walls of public galleries. Early life and education Shin was born in ...

(born 1973), South Korea-New Zealand artist * Shin Su-ran (born 1986), South Korean singer * The Quiett (born Shin Dong-gab), South Korean Rapper, composer, lyricist and record producer (co-founder of independent hip-hop label Illionaire Records) *

Shin Ye-eun Shin Ye-eun (; born January 18, 1998) is a South Korean actress, best known for her role in the web series ''A-Teen'' and its sequel ''A-Teen 2''. She also starred in the television series '' He Is Psychometric'', ''Welcome'', and '' More Than ...

(born 1998), South Korean actress *

Shin Hye-sun Shin Hye-sun (born 31 August 1989) is a South Korean actress. She made her debut in the television series ''School 2013''. In 2017, Shin played her first leading role and became well known in the weekend drama, ''My Golden Life'', which garnere ...

(born 1989), South Korean actress * Shin Hyun-been (born 1986), South Korean actress *

Shin Eun-soo Shin Eun-soo (born October 23, 2002) is a South Korean actress. She made her acting debut as the female lead in 2016 film '' Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned''. She also starred in television series ''The Legend of the Blue Sea'' (2016) and '' ...

(born 2002), South Korean actress *

Shin Jin-seo Shin Jin-seo ( ko, 신진서; born 17 March 2000) is a South Korea, South Korean professional Go (game), Go player. He has won four major international championships: the LG Cup (Go), LG Cup in 2020 and 2022, the Chunlan Cup in 2021, and the Sam ...

(born 2000), a professional South Korean Go player *

Hyun Ji Shin Shin Hyun-ji ( ko, 신현지; born 15 March 1996) is a South Korean fashion model. After winning ''Korea's Next Top Model'', Shin appeared on the cover of international ''Vogue'' editions. She currently ranks on models.com's "Industry Icons" lis ...

(born 1996), South Korean fashion model

Fictional

Stephen Shin Stephen Shin is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. He is a supporting character of Aquaman who debuted during "The New 52" reboot. Stephen Shin first appeared in ''Aquaman'' (vol. 7) #2 (December 2011) and was c ...

, a character of DC Comic series '' Aquaman'' * Shin Kyung-soo, one of the two female leads of 2003 South Korean drama ''Rosemary'' * Shin Ji-hyun, main character of 2011 South Korean drama ''

49 Days ''49 Days'' () is a 2011 South Korean television series starring Lee Yo-won, Nam Gyu-ri, Jo Hyun-jae, Bae Soo-bin, Jung Il-woo, and Seo Ji-hye. It aired on SBS from March 16 to May 19, 2011 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 ( KST) for 20 epis ...

'' * Shin Suk-ki, the main protagonist of 2004 South Korean movie ''

Shinsukki Blues ''Shinsukki Blues'' is a 2004 South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border wit ...

'' * Shin Ji-hoon, one of main characters of 2012 South Korean television series '' I Need Romance 2012'' * Shin Joo-yeon, female lead of 2014 South Korean series '' I Need Romance 3'' * Shin Ji-min, real name of Song Yi-kyung, a main character from 2011 South Korean drama ''49 Days'' * Shin Chae-kyung, female lead of 2017 South Korean drama '' Queen for Seven Days'' * Shin Se-gi, split personality of Cha Do-hyun, a

DID Dissociative identity disorder (DID), better known as multiple personality disorder or multiple personality syndrome, is a mental disorder characterized by the presence of at least two distinct and relatively enduring personality, personality sta ...

patient and main character of 2015 South Korean television series '' Kill Me, Heal Me'' * Shin Ha-kyung, female lead of 2014 South Korean series ''

Punch Punch commonly refers to: * Punch (combat), a strike made using the hand closed into a fist * Punch (drink), a wide assortment of drinks, non-alcoholic or alcoholic, generally containing fruit or fruit juice Punch may also refer to: Places * Pun ...

'' * Shin Suk-ho, main lead of 2016 South Korean series '' Entertainer'' * Shin Woo Yeo, main lead of 2021 South Korean series ''

My Roommate Is a Gumiho ''My Roommate Is a Gumiho'' () is a 2021 South Korean television drama series starring Jang Ki-yong and Lee Hye-ri. The series tells story of romance between a 999-year-old nine-tailed fox named Shin Woo-Yeo and a female college student named ...

'' * Shin Young-joo, female lead of 2017 South Korean drama ''

Whisper Whispering is an unvoiced mode of phonation in which the vocal cords are abducted so that they do not vibrate; air passes between the arytenoid cartilages to create audible turbulence during speech. Supralaryngeal articulation remains the ...

'' * Shin Sang, male character of 2021 South Korean series ''

Mouse A mouse ( : mice) is a small rodent. Characteristically, mice are known to have a pointed snout, small rounded ears, a body-length scaly tail, and a high breeding rate. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse (''Mus musculus' ...

'' * Shin Ah-ri, one of the female leads of 2021 South Korean series '' No Matter What''

Clans

List of Sins

Historical

Contemporary

Fictional

See also