Choi (Korean surname)

Choi (Korean: 최; Hanja: 崔) is a Korean family surname. As of the South Korean census of 2015, there were around 2.3 million people by this name in South Korea or roughly 4.7% of the population. In English-speaking countries, it is most often anglicized as Choi, and sometimes also Chey, Choe or Chwe. Ethnic Koreans in the former USSR generally prefer the forms Tsoi or Tsoy, especially as a transcription of the Cyrillic Цой.

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 Ch'oe Ch'iwŏn (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 Ch'oe Ch'ung (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 the 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), who was known as the leader of the Kingdom of Nakrang
• Choi clan was one of the most loyal clans to emperors (I century BC - 1910), so does the Lee, Cheon, Seong, Bae, Sol clans. All of these - are legendary surnames given to six villages by third emperor of Silla - Yuri (24-57 AD). This information gives us "Samguk yusa" - "The three kingdoms history", written by monk Iryeon in XIII century.

Clans

There are roughly 160 clans of Chois.^{[citation needed]} 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 Choi claim the Silla scholar Ch'oe Ch'iwŏn as their founder.

• Gyeongju clan – Ch'oe Ch'iwŏn
• Jeonju clan – Choe Bu
• Dongju clan

• Nangju clan - Choi Ji-mong

• Haeju clan – Ch'oe Ch'ung
• Saknyeong clan – Ch'oe Hang, Choi Byung Ju (founding member modern era Korean Supreme Court)
• Gangneung clan
• Hwasun clan
• Ganghwa clan
• Yeongcheon clan
• Tamjin clan
• Ubong clan - Ch'oe Ch'unghŏn
• Suwaon clan
• Yeongheung clan
• Suseong clan
• Chungju Choe clan
• Goesan clan – Ch'oe Sejin
• Heunghae clan
• Yeongam clan
• Taein clan

Etymology and Pronunciation

Choi is written with the Hanja character 崔, meaning "a governor who oversees the land and the mountain".

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

Prominent people of the past

• Ch'oe Ch'unghŏn (1149–1219), military dictator of the Goryeo period
• Ch'oe U (1166–1249), military dictator of the Goryeo period
• Ch'oe Musŏn (1330–1395), Korean scientist, inventor, and military commander
• Ch'oe Yŏng (1316–1388), military general of the Goryeo period
• Ch'oe Ch'iwŏn (859–?), Korean philosopher during the Silla dynasty
• Choe Han-gi (1803–1877), Korean Confucian scholar and philosopher
• Choe Je-u (1824–1864), founder of the Donghak movement
• Ch'oe Manli (???–1445), vice director of the Hall of Worthies and early critic of hangul
• Choe Sejin (1465–1542), Korean linguist
• Royal Noble Consort Sukbin Choe (1670–1718), royal consort
• Ch'oe Yŏnggyŏng (1529–1590), scholar-official of the Joseon period

Prominent people today

See also

• Cui – Mainland China Surname
• Chui – Hong Kong Surname
• Choi (disambiguation)
• Tsoi (disambiguation)
• List of Korean family names

References

External links

• Official site of the Gyeongju Choi Association, in Korean

Surname list

This page lists people with the surname Choi.
If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name(s) to the link.