Kwak (surname)

Kwak is a Korean surname. It is written as 郭 in Hanja.

Origin and History

The Kwak surname originated in China. The Korean Kwak clan traces its ancestry back to Kwak Gyeong (郭鏡), who was naturalized during the reign of King Chungnyeol of the Goryeo dynasty. He was originally from Bohae (勃海), an ancient kingdom in northeastern China. He is considered the founder of the Haeju Kwak clan, the most prominent branch.

Distribution and Clans

The Haeju Kwak clan (해주 곽씨; 海州 郭氏) is the largest and most well-known Kwak clan in Korea. Other clans include the Cheongju Kwak clan (청주 곽씨; 清州 郭氏) and the Goryeong Kwak clan (고령 곽씨; 高靈 郭氏), though these are significantly smaller. As of the South Korean census of 2015, there were 204,658 people with the surname Kwak.

Notable People

• Kwak Do-won (곽도원): South Korean actor.
• Kwak Si-yang (곽시양): South Korean actor.
• Kwak Tae-hwi (곽태휘): South Korean footballer.
• Kwak Yoon-gy (곽윤기): South Korean short track speed skater.

Variants and Romanization

The surname Kwak is typically romanized as Kwak, but may occasionally appear as Kwag.