Jeong-ja, also spelled Jung-ja, Jong-ja, or Chung-ja, is a Korean feminine given name. The meaning differs based on the

hanja Hanja (Hangul: ; Hanja: , ), alternatively known as Hancha, are Chinese characters () used in the writing of Korean. Hanja was used as early as the Gojoseon period, the first ever Korean kingdom. (, ) refers to Sino-Korean vocabulary, ...

used to write each syllable of the name.

Hanja and meaning

There are 65 hanja with the reading " jeong" and 28 hanja with the reading "ja" on the South Korean government's official list of hanja which may be used in given names. Typically, "ja" is written with the hanja meaning "child" (; ). In Japan, where this character is read ''ko'', it was originally used as suffix for the names of girls in the aristocracy. The practice of adding ''-ko'' to girls' names spread to the lower classes following the 1868

Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were r ...

. Jeong-ja is one of a number of Japanese-style names ending in "ja", along with

Young-ja Young-ja, also spelled Yeong-ja, is a Korean feminine given name. According to South Korean government data, it was the most popular name for baby girls born in 1940. Its meaning depends on the hanja used to write it. Hanja and meaning There are ...

and Soon-ja, that were popular when Korea was under Japanese rule from 1910 to 1945, but declined in popularity afterwards. According to South Korean government data, it was the sixth-most popular name for baby girls in 1940. By 1950 there were no names ending in "ja" in the top ten. Some ways of writing this name in hanja include: * , first hanja meaning "chastity" or "purity" (). The same characters correspond to a number of

Japanese given name in modern times consist of a family name (surname) followed by a given name, in that order. Nevertheless, when a Japanese name is written in the Roman alphabet, ever since the Meiji era, the official policy has been to cater to Western expecta ...

s, among them various names which use ''

kun'yomi are the logographic Chinese characters taken from the Chinese script and used in the writing of Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese and are still used, along with the subseq ...

'' readings of the first character, including

Sadako Sadako is a Japanese name, commonly used for women. Sadako is also a film. The same name can be written with a variety of kanji, and the meanings of the name differ accordingly: *, "chaste child"; the same characters can also be read as a Korean fe ...

, and another less common one Teiko which uses the ''

on'yomi are the logographic Chinese characters taken from the Chinese script and used in the writing of Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese and are still used, along with the subseq ...

'' reading of the first character. * , first hanja meaning "correct" or "upright" (). The same characters correspond to various Japanese given names, including Masako (''kun'yomi'' of first character) and

Seiko , commonly known as Seiko ( , ), is a Japanese maker of watches, clocks, electronic devices, semiconductors, jewelry, and optical products. Founded in 1881 by Kintarō Hattori in Tokyo, Seiko introduced one of the first quartz watches and the ...

(''on'yomi'' of first character).

People

People with this name include: * Bae Jeong-ja (; 1870–1950), adopted daughter of

Ito Hirobumi Ito may refer to: Places * Ito Island, an island of Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea * Ito Airport, an airport in the Democratic Republic of the Congo * Ito District, Wakayama, a district located in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan * Itō, Shizuok ...

, portrayed in the film '' Femme Fatale: Bae Jeong-ja'' *

Ho Jong-suk Ho Jong-suk (; July 16, 1908 – June 5, 1991) was a prominent female figure in the Communist Party of Korea and sexual liberation of Korea under Japanese rule. From 1948, she served multiple offices in North Korea, including the Minister of Hea ...

(originally Ho Jong-ja; 1908–1991), Korean independence activist, later a North Korean politician *

Bak Jeong-ja Bak or BAK may refer to: Computer * Bak file * ''Betrayal at Krondor'', a DOS-based role-playing video game * Bill and keep reciprocal payment in telecommunications systems Acronyms * Bcl-2 homologous antagonist killer, a protein involved in pr ...

(; 1927–2003), South Korean politician *

Park Jung-ja A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are green spaces set aside for recreation inside towns and cities. N ...

(; born 1942), actress * Lee Jung-ja (born 1951), South Korean former volleyball player *

Sin Jung-ja Sin Jung-ja (born 11 December 1980) is a Korean basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a ...

(born 1980), South Korean basketball player

References

{{given name Korean feminine given names

Hanja and meaning

People

See also

References