Explore the Family Name Hyun

The meaning of Hyun

Korean (Hyŏn): there is one Chinese character for the surname Hyŏn. Some records indicate that there are 106 Hyŏn clans, but only four can be documented, and these all descend from the same founding ancestor. The Hyŏn clan founding ancestor was a Koryŏ general named Hyŏn Tam-yun, who lived during the latter part of the 12th century. Members of the Hyŏn clan can be found throughout Korea, with high concentrations in Kyŏngsang North province, Kyŏnggi province, Ch’ungch’ŏng South province, and Chŏlla South province. Some characteristic forenames: Korean Young, Sung, Byung, Chang, Jung, Soon, Yun, Jae, Jong, Kyung, Myung, Sang, Chul, Chang Sup, Dong, Jang, Soo Jin, Chong, Chung, Deuk, Do Young, Dong Chul, Hee Sook, Hyunsook.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Hyun in the United States?

The surname "Hyun" saw a surge in popularity between the years 2000 and 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2000, Hyun was ranked as the 15,071st most popular surname, while in 2010 it climbed to 13,462nd place, marking a significant increase of 10.68%. The number of individuals with this surname also grew from 1,796 in 2000 to 2,262 in 2010, experiencing an impressive 25.95% rise. Additionally, the proportion of individuals named Hyun per 100,000 people increased by 14.93%, moving from 0.67 to 0.77.

20002010Change
Rank#15,071#13,46210.68%
Count1,7962,26225.95%
Proportion per 100k0.670.7714.93%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Hyun

As for its ethnic identity distribution, Hyun is predominantly associated with the Asian/Pacific Islander group. In 2000, approximately 92.54% of individuals with this surname identified as Asian/Pacific Islander, and this figure rose slightly to 94.69% in 2010, showing a 2.32% change. The percentage of individuals identifying as two or more races decreased slightly from 2.39% to 2.25%. There was a notable decline in the number of white individuals carrying the Hyun surname, dropping from 4.29% in 2000 to just 2.48% in 2010. Despite minor fluctuations in the Hispanic category, the proportion of Black individuals and American Indian and Alaskan Natives remained constant at 0%. These statistics are all based on the Decennial U.S. Census data.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander92.54%94.69%2.32%
White4.29%2.48%-42.19%
Two or More Races2.39%2.25%-5.86%
Hispanic0.39%0.4%2.56%
Black0.39%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%