Choi (Korean surname)

Choi is a common Korean family name. As of the South Korean census of 2015, there were 2,333,927 people by this name in South Korea or roughly 4.7% of the population.[1] In English-speaking countries, it is most often anglicized Choi, and sometimes also Choe or Chwe. Ethnic Koreans in the former USSR prefer the form Tsoi (Tsoy) especially as a transcription of the Cyrillic Цой.

This article is about the Korean surname Choi. For Cantonese romanisation of the Chinese surname Cai (蔡), see Cai (surname).
Choi
PronunciationCh'oe, Tchoi, Chye, Chwe
Language(s)Korean
Origin
Meaningpinnacle, top, most, mountain
Region of originKorea
Other names
Variant form(s)Cui, Thôi
Choi
Hangul
Hanja
Revised RomanizationChoe
McCune–ReischauerCh'oe
54% of Korean people bear the family name Kim, Lee, Park, Choi, Jung, or variants thereof.
  Kim, Gim
  Lee, Yi, Rhee
  Park, Pak
  Choi
  Jung, Jeong, Chung, Cheong

Origin
  • According to Samguk Sagi, the Gyeongju clan originates from chief Sobeoldori (소벌도리, 蘇伐都利) of Goheochon (고허촌, 高墟村), one of six villages that united to found Silla; The Gyeongju clan traces their origin back to Choi Chiwon (857–10th century), a noted Korean scholar, philosopher, and poet of the late Unified Silla period (668–935).
  • One theory of origin suggests that Haeju clan's progenitor Choi Choong (최충, 崔沖, 984–1068) was given the surname 崔 during the reign of Goryeo king Mokjong.
  • The progenitor of the Chungju clan is General Choi Seung (최승, 崔陞), also known as Choi Woo (최우, 崔偶), of Silla (known as Cui Sheng in Tang Dynasty)
  • The progenitor of the Nangju clan is Choi Heun (최흔, 崔昕) of Silla who was a native of Yeongam (Nangju) of the southern Jeolla region.
  • Choi Ri (최리, 崔理) was the leader of the Lelang Commandery of the Han Dynasty.
  • Choi Ri (최리, 崔理) was the leader of a clan of squid farmers known for domestication of prehistoric song birds of the Han Dynasty.

Clans

There are roughly 160 clans of Chois. Most of these are quite small. However, Choi is the 4th most common surname in Korea. The largest by far is the Gyeongju Choi clan, with a 2000 South Korean population of 976,820. The Gyeongju Choe claim the Silla scholar Choe Chi-won as their founder.[2]

Etymology

Choi (Hangul: 최) is written with the Hanja character 崔, meaning "a governor who oversees the land and the mountain". The surname Choi also means mountain or pinnacle.

Choi (崔), originally written in Hanja, is derived from the combination of 2 ancient Chinese characters:

  • 山 is a pictogram symbolizing the mountains;
  • 隹 is a pictogram symbolizing a bird.

Pronunciation

In Korean, 최 is usually pronounced [tɕʰwe] "Chwe" except by some older speakers who pronounce it [tɕʰø] (this vowel sound is similar to the German ö [ø]). In English, it is most often pronounced /ˈtʃɔɪ/ "Choy", which sounds clearly different to its proper pronunciation.

崔 is Romanized as Cuī and pronounced [tsʰwéi] in Mandarin Chinese. It is Chēui [tsʰɵ́y] in Cantonese and Chhui [tsʰúi] in Hokkien.

Prominent people of the past
  • Choe Chung-heon, military dictator of the Goryeo period
  • Choe Je-u, founder of the Donghak movement
  • Choe Manri (???-1445), an early critic of hangul
  • Choe Mu-seon, 14th-century Korean inventor
  • Choe Sejin, 15th-century linguist
  • Suk-bin Choe (1670–1718), concubine of Sukjong and mother of Yeongjo of Joseon[4]
  • Choe U (???-1249), military dictator of the Goryeo period
  • Choe Yeong (1316–1388), military general under King Gongmin of Goryeo


Prominent people of nowadays

See also
  • Cui – Chinese surname
  • Choe
  • Choi
  • Tsoi
  • List of Korea-related topics
  • List of Korean family names

References
  1. "2015년 인구주택총조사 전수집계결과 보도자료" [Results of the 2015 Census of Population and Housing survey]. Korean Statistical Information Service. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
  2. 최 崔 [Choe] (in Korean). Doosan Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
  3. 최세진 崔世珍 [Choe Se-jin] (in Korean). Encyclopedia of Korean Culture. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
  4. Note: suk-bin is a Joseon title, not a given name
  5. "Top North official said to be getting re-educated". JoongAng Ilbo. 12 January 2009. Archived from the original on 29 June 2013. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
  6. Cobb, Kayla (10 May 2017). "Cult Corner: 'FishCenter Live' Is The Most Delightfully Pointless Show on TV". Decider. New York Post. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  7. Gay, Verne (28 December 2015). "Best TV shows you didn't watch in 2015: Hulu's 'Difficult People,' more under-the-radar series". Newsday. Edward Bushey & Debby Krenek. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  8. Kopcow, Chris (29 May 2015). "Adult Swim's 'FishCenter': A Beginner's Guide". Splitsider. The Awl. Archived from the original on 31 August 2015. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  9. "Choi SukJa (최숙자) on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
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