FastNamesKim Surname
Korean surname meaning "Korean patronymic and clan surname represented by the Hanja character 金, meaning 'gold', 'metal', or 'precious radiance'.". Ranked 77th in the United States with 262,352 recorded bearers in the 2010 Census (88.9 per 100,000 Americans).
Meaning and origin of the surname Kim
Korean patronymic and clan surname represented by the Hanja character 金, meaning 'gold', 'metal', or 'precious radiance'.
Historically and linguistically, Kim belongs to the Korean family of surnames. It is conventionally pronounced "KIM".
United States Census frequency and ranking
In the official 2010 United States Census, Kim was recorded 262,352 times, ranking as the 77th most common surname in the nation.
This represents an incidence rate of approximately 88.94 bearers per 100,000 Americans, or roughly 1 out of every 1,124 residents.
Race and ethnicity distribution
According to official decennial Census genealogy microdata, individuals bearing the surname Kimreported the following racial and ethnic affiliations in the 2010 US Census:
| Racial or ethnic group | Share of bearers |
|---|---|
| White | 2.52% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0.65% |
| Black or African American | 0.39% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 94.47% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.02% |
| Two or more races | 1.96% |
Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census Surnames Data. Percentages may not sum to exactly 100% due to independent rounding or suppression of small cell counts for privacy protection.
History of the surname Kim
Kim is the most prevalent surname in Korea, transcribed with the Hanja character 金 (meaning 'gold', 'metal', or 'iron'). Originating in the ancient Proto-Three Kingdoms period, the royal lineage traces back through foundational mythologies: the Gimhae Kim clan, founded by King Suro of the Gaya confederacy in 42 CE, and the Gyeongju Kim clan, descending from the mythological figure Alji discovered in a golden box in Gyerim forest in 65 CE. Members of the Gyeongju clan reigned over the Silla kingdom for hundreds of years, elevating Kim to the highest royal echelon.
Traditional Korean genealogical records (jokbo) divide bearers of Kim into approximately three hundred distinct ancestral clans (bon-gwan), each anchored to a historic geographic ancestral seat. The two dominant branches—the Gimhae Kim and Gyeongju Kim—represent millions of descendants across the peninsula. Throughout the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), royal favor and administrative privileges were closely tied to Kim lineages, and the gradual adoption of family names by commoners in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries cemented Kim as the paramount family name of modern Korea.
Korean immigration to the United States began in the early twentieth century with agricultural workers in Hawaii and California, expanding substantially following the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. Korean-American communities established vibrant commercial, educational, and cultural networks in Southern California, New York, New Jersey, and Illinois. In the 2010 United States Census, Kim ranked 77th nationwide with 262,352 recorded individuals, with 94.5 percent identifying as Asian, making it one of the most concentrated Asian-origin surnames in North America.
Notable people with the surname Kim
- Chloe Kim (2000–), American two-time Olympic gold medalist snowboarder
- Daniel Dae Kim (1968–), Korean-American actor and producer known for Lost and Hawaii Five-0
- Kim Dae-jung (1924–2009), President of South Korea and 2000 Nobel Peace Prize laureate
- Gail Kim (1977–), Canadian-American professional wrestler and Hall of Famer
Variants and related surnames
Spelling variants
Related surnames
Sources and references
- Wayne Patterson. A Korean-American History: The Migration and Acculturation of Korean Americans (2000).
- Patrick Hanks. Dictionary of American Family Names (2003), p. vol. 2, p. 305.
- U.S. Census Bureau. 2010 Census Surnames Data (2016). Reference link.