Seo (surname)

Seo is a Korean surname. It is written with the Hanja character 徐.

Origin and History:

The Seo surname is one of the more ancient Korean surnames, tracing its origins back to the Gojoseon period. The progenitor of the Seo clans is believed to be a figure named Seo Geom-beol (徐黔伐), a general who aided in the founding of Silla. Different clans (bon-gwan) claim descent from different historical figures within the larger Seo lineage.

Clans (Bon-gwan):

The Seo surname is divided into numerous clans, each associated with a specific place of origin (bon-gwan). Some of the most prominent Seo clans include:

• Dalseong Seo clan (達城 徐氏): Considered the main lineage and largest of the Seo clans. Their ancestral seat is Dalseong County, Daegu.
• Icheon Seo clan (利川 徐氏): Originating from Icheon, Gyeonggi Province.
• Boryeong Seo clan (保寧 徐氏): Originating from Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province.
• Geosan Seo clan (居山 徐氏): Originating from Geosan, South Gyeongsang Province.
• Yeongam Seo clan (靈巖 徐氏): Originating from Yeongam, South Jeolla Province.

Distribution and Demographics:

The Seo surname is a relatively common surname in Korea. According to the 2015 South Korean census, there were approximately 792,000 people with the Seo surname in South Korea, making it the 17th most common surname.

Notable People:

• Seo Jeong-ju (徐廷柱), a prominent Korean poet.
• Seo Taiji (徐太志), a popular South Korean musician and cultural icon.
• Seo Hyun-jin (徐玄振), a South Korean actress and singer.
• Seo In-guk (徐仁國), a South Korean singer and actor.
• Seo Jang-hoon (徐章煇), a retired South Korean basketball player and entertainer.

Romanization:

The surname Seo is consistently romanized as "Seo" under both the Revised Romanization of Korean and the McCune-Reischauer system.