Names / Kim
Is Kim a first name or a last name?
Kim is both: a family name in some places and a given name in others. It is mostly a family name in South Korea.
For Koreans, Kim is the most common family name and is written first in Korean order (Kim Min-jun). In Europe and North America, Kim is a given name, mostly for women in the US and for both sexes in parts of Europe.
How to address someone called Kim
- South Korea. Kim is a family name and is usually written first. Write Dear Mr. Kim or Dear Ms. Kim, or use the full name if you cannot tell which title fits.
- United States. Kim is used both ways: about 262,352 people had it as a surname in the 2010 census, and 209,686 babies born between 1950 and 2017 were given it as a first name. Look at where it sits in the name and how the person signs.
Not sure which part of a full name is which? Check the full name with the country where the person is based.
Kim by country
People recorded in Wikidata who carry Kim as a family name or as a given name, by country of citizenship (8,741 in total).
| Country | As family name | As given name | Family name share |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea | 6,757 | 11 | 100% |
| United States | 123 | 438 | 22% |
| North Korea | 281 | 1 | 100% |
| Canada | 19 | 146 | 12% |
| Germany | 7 | 113 | 6% |
| United Kingdom | 6 | 99 | 6% |
| Norway | 0 | 86 | 0% |
| Australia | 5 | 81 | 6% |
| Sweden | 2 | 71 | 3% |
| Netherlands | 0 | 64 | 0% |
Wikidata covers notable people, so counts show how the name is used, not how many people carry it.
Kim in the United States
- As a surname: about 262,352 people in the 2010 census, rank 77 among US surnames.
- As a first name: 209,686 babies born between 1950 and 2017, 85% of them girls.
More on this naming tradition: How Korean names work.
Related names
Lee · Park · Jung · Choi · Cho · Han · Kang · Hong · Yoon · Shin