Hyun
Hyun, also spelled Hyeon or Hyon, Hyoun, is a Korean surname, a single-syllable Korean given name, and an element in many two-syllable Korean given names. As given name meaning differs based on the hanja used to write it. There are 45 hanja with the reading "hyun" on the South Korean government's official list of hanja which may be used in given names.
Meaning & Origin of Hyun
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Hyun, also spelled Hyeon or Hyon, Hyoun, is a Korean surname, a single-syllable Korean given name, and an element in many two-syllable Korean given names. As given name meaning differs based on the hanja used to write it. There are 45 hanja with the reading "hyun" on the South Korean government's official list of hanja which may be used in given names.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Hyun
As a girl name
Hyun first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1957, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1982, when 11 Hyuns were born — ranking #5,910 that year. As of 2026, Hyun ranks #12,425 for girls with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 168 Hyuns have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Hyun first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1972, with 9 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1989, when 14 Hyuns were born — ranking #3,809 that year. As of 2026, Hyun ranks #12,182 for boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 263 Hyuns have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Hyun
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Hyun Bong-sik (born 1984), South Korean actor
- Hyun Byung-chul (born 1974), South Korean cyclist
- Hyon Chol-hae (1934–2022), North Korean general
- Hyon Hak-bong , North Korean diplomat
- Hyun Hee (born 1976), South Korean retired épée fencer
- Hyun Hong-choo (1940–2017), South Korean lawyer, politician, diplomat
- Hyun Hye-sung (born 1986), South Korean field hockey player
- Insoo Hyun (born c. 1970 ), Korean American bioethics professor
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Hyun
Phonetically similar names — useful when Hyun is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Hyun
What does the name Hyun mean?
How popular is Hyun in 2026?
When was Hyun most popular?
In which U.S. states is Hyun most popular?
Is Hyun a unisex name?
What names go well with Hyun?
About the name Hyun
Hyun is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1972 and has accumulated 263 births in the dataset. Hyun's peak popularity came in 1989 when it ranked #3,809. Use the chart and map above to compare Hyun's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1989 →
- Names of the 1980s →
- Names starting with "H" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.