Chae (), also less commonly spelled Chai or Chea, is a

Korean family name This is a list of Korean surnames, in Hangul alphabetical order. The most common Korean surname (particularly in South Korea) is Kim (Korean name), Kim (), followed by Lee (Korean name), Lee () and Park (Korean surname), Park (). These three sur ...

. Its meaning differs based on the hanja used to write it.

Overview

The 2000 South Korean Census found 119,251 people with the family name Chae. It could be written with any of three

hanja Hanja (; ), alternatively spelled Hancha, are Chinese characters used to write the Korean language. After characters were introduced to Korea to write Literary Chinese, they were adapted to write Korean as early as the Gojoseon period. () ...

, indicating different lineages. In a study by the

National Institute of the Korean Language The National Institute of Korean Language (NIKL; ) is a language regulator of the Korean language based in Seoul, South Korea. It was created on January 23, 1991, by Presidential Decree No. 13163 (November 14, 1990). It has previously gone by a ...

based on year 2007 application data for South Korean passports, it was found that 87.8% of people with this surname spelled it in Latin letters as Chae in their passports. Another 7.5% spelled it as Chai, 2.8% as Che, and 1.7% as Chea.

Most common (蔡)

(성씨 채 ''songssi chae'') is by far the most common of the three Chae surnames. This character is also used to write the

Chinese family name Chinese surnames are used by Han Chinese and Sinicized ethnic groups in Greater China, Korea, Vietnam and among overseas Chinese communities around the world such as Singapore and Malaysia. Written Chinese names begin with surnames, unlike the W ...

pronounced Cài () in Mandarin. The 2000 Census found 114,069 people and 35,099 households with this surname, divided among seventeen reported ''

bon-gwan Korean clans are groups of Koreans, Korean people that share the same Patrilineality, paternal ancestor. They are indicated by the combination of a ''bongwan'' () and a family name. Korean clans distinguish clans that happen to share the same fam ...

'' (clan hometowns, not necessarily the actual residence of clan members), as well as eighty-six people whose ''bon-gwan'' was not stated: * Pyonggang, Kangwon (today in North Korea): 69,256 people and 21,373 households They claim descent from Chae Song-nyeon ( 채송년; 蔡松年), an official under

Gojong of Goryeo Gojong (1192–1259), personal name Wang Cheol, was the 23rd king of the Korean Goryeo dynasty, ruling from 1213 to 1259. Gojong's reign was marked by prolonged conflict with the Mongol Empire, which sought to conquer Goryeo, ending only to set ...

. *

Incheon Incheon is a city located in northwestern South Korea, bordering Seoul and Gyeonggi Province to the east. Inhabited since the Neolithic, Incheon was home to just 4,700 people when it became an international port in 1883. As of February 2020, ...

Gyeonggi Gyeonggi Province (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea. Seoul, the nation's largest city and capital, is in the heart of the area but has been separately administered as a provincial-level ''special city'' since 1946. Incheon, ...

(today in South Korea): 37,391 people and 11,415 households They claim descent from Chae Seon-mu (채선무; 蔡先茂), who lived sometime during mid-

Goryeo Dynasty Goryeo (; ) was a Korean state founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korea, Korean Peninsula until the establishment of Joseon in 1392. Goryeo achieved what has b ...

. *Other or unreported ''bon-gwan'': 7,422 people and 2,311 households

Second-most common (菜)

(나물 채 ''namul chae'') is the second-most common of the three Chae surnames. The 2000 Census found 3,516 people and 1,067 households with this surname, divided among two reported ''

'': * Yeongyang,

North Gyeongsang North Gyeongsang Province (, ) is a province in eastern South Korea, and with an area of , it is the largest province in the Korean peninsula. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Gyeongsang province, and remaine ...

(today in South Korea): 1,816 people and 576 households *

Jinju Jinju (; ) is a city in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It was the location of the first (1592) and second (1593) Sieges of Jinju by Japanese forces during the Imjin War. The Republic of Korea Air Force Education and Training Comman ...

South Gyeongsang South Gyeongsang Province (, ) is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, province in the southeast of South Korea. The provincial capital is at Changwon. It is adjacent to the major metropolitan center and port of Busan. The UNESCO World Heri ...

: 1,627 people and 483 households *Other or unreported ''bon-gwan'': 73 people and eight households

Least common (采)

(풍채 채 ''pungchae chae'', 캘 채 ''kael chae'') is the least common of the three Chae surnames. The 2000 Census found 1,666 people and 566 households with this surname, with one reported ''

'': *Yeosan: 1,637 people and 562 households *Other or unreported ''bon-gwan'': 29 people and two households

People

People with these family names include: * Esther K. Chae, Korean-American actress *

Chae Eui-jin Chae Eui-jin () is a South Korean voice actress who joined the Tooniverse Voice Acting Division in 1997, which she left for the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation's Voice Acting Division in 1999. Roles Broadcast TV * Futari wa Pretty Cure (Korea ...

, South Korean voice actor * Chae Eun-hee (born 1982), South Korean marathon runner *

Piglet (gamer) Chae Gwang-jin (), better known as Piglet, is a South Korean former professional ''League of Legends'' player, and previous coach for T1 (esports), T1 Academy. Piglet won the Season 3 World Championship in 2013 with League of Legends Champions K ...

(born Chae Gwang-jin, 1994), South Korean ''League of Legends'' coach *

Chae Ho-ki Chae Ho-ki (; born 13 October 1957) is a modern South Korean poet. Biography Chae Ho-ki was born on October 13, 1957, in Daegu, South Korea and published his first poem in 1988 and since that time has been considered by South Korean critics ...

(born 1957), South Korean poet *

Hyungwon Chae Hyung-won (, born January 15, 1994), known mononymously as Hyungwon, is a South Korean singer, actor, model, DJ, MC, songwriter, and producer. He is a member of South Korean boy group Monsta X and its sub-unit Shownu X Hyungwon under S ...

(born Chae Hyung-won, 1994), South Korean singer, member of boy band Monsta X *

Chae Ji-hoon Chae Ji-hoon (; born 5 March 1974) is a retired South Korean short track speed skater Skating career Chae won a gold medal in the 500 m and a silver medal in 1000 m at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer. ...

(born 1974) South Korean short track speed skater *

Ji Young Chae Ji Young Chae (; born 1993) is a principal dancer with the Boston Ballet. Biography Ji Young Chae trained ballet at Seoul Arts High School and Korea National University of Arts. Before joining a professional dance company, Chae received multip ...

(born 1993), South Korean ballet dancer *

Chae Jong-hyeop Chae Jong-hyeop (; born May 19, 1993) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles in dramas such ''Webtoon Hero – Tundra Show Season 2 ''(2016), '' Hot Stove League'' (2019), '' Sisyphus: The Myth'' (2021), '' Nevertheless'' (2021 ...

(born 1993), South Korean actor *

Chae Jung-an Chae Jung-an (born Jang Jung-an on October 21, 1977) is a South Korean actress and singer. Philanthropy On March 11, 2022, Chae made a donation of million to the Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association to help the victims of the massive wild ...

(born 1977), South Korean actress and singer * Junseok Chae (?–2020), South Korean engineer and academic administrator * Chae Keun-bae (born 1970), South Korean sport shooter * Chae Man-sik (1902–1950), Korean novelist * Chae Min-seo (born 1981), South Korean actress *

Chae Myung-shin Chae Myung-shin (; 27 November 1926 – 25 November 2013) was a Republic of Korea Army, South Korean army officer who commanded military history of South Korea during the Vietnam War, South Korean military forces in the Vietnam War. He was also ...

(1926–2013), South Korean army general * Nelson Chai (born 1965), American investment banker * Chae Ri-na (born 1977), South Korean singer * Chae Shi-ra (born 1968), South Korean actress * Chae Su-chan (born 1955), South Korean academic and politician * Chae Sung-bae (born 1968), South Korean heavyweight boxer * Chae Sang-byung (born 1979), South Korean baseball player * Chae Seon-ah (born 1992), South Korean volleyball player * Chea Song-joo (born 1998), South Korean figure skater * Chae Sang-woo (born 1999), South Korean actor * Chae Soo-bin (born 1994), South Korean actress * Chae YuJung (born 1995), South Korea badminton player

References