So-ra is a Korean feminine given name. Unlike most
Korean given name
A Korean name (Hangul: ; Hanja: ) consists of a family name followed by a given name, as used by the Korean people in both South Korea and North Korea. In the Korean language, ''ireum'' or ''seongmyeong'' usually refers to the family name (''se ...
s, which are composed of two single-syllable
Sino-Korean morphemes each written with one
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, ...
, So-ra is an indigenous Korean name, a single two-syllable word meaning "
conch shell
Conch () is a common name of a number of different medium-to-large-sized sea snails. Conch shells typically have a high spire and a noticeable siphonal canal (in other words, the shell comes to a noticeable point at both ends).
In North Ame ...
". It is one of a number of such native names (called 고유어 이름) that have become more popular in
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
in recent decades. In some cases, however, parents also choose to register
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, ...
to represent the name, picking them solely for their pronunciation (for example, , with hanja meaning "sunlight" and "net", respectively). There are 45 hanja with the reading "so" and 14 hanja with the reading "ra" on the South Korean government's official list of hanja which may used in given names.
List
Notable people with this name include:
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Bak So-ra (fl. 1990s), South Korean voice actress
*
Choi Sora (born 1992), South Korean fashion model
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Jung So-ra (born 1991), South Korean beauty pageant winner
*
Kang So-ra
Kang So-ra (born February 18, 1990) is a South Korean actress.
Career
Kang made her acting debut in the 2009 thriller movie '' 4th Period Mystery'', but rose to fame when she starred in the 2011 blockbuster '' Sunny'', a coming-of-age film abo ...
(born 1990), South Korean film actress
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Lee So-ra (disambiguation), multiple people, including:
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Lee So-ra (model) (born 1969), South Korean model
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Lee So-ra (singer) (born 1969), South Korean singer
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Lee So-ra (tennis) (born 1994), South Korean tennis player
**
Lee So-ra (volleyball)
Lee So-ra (Hangul: 이소라, Hanja: 李蘇羅; born 1 September 1987) is a South Korean female professional volleyball player. She was part of the silver medal winning team at the 2010 Asian Games
The 2010 Asian Games (), officially known a ...
(born 1987), South Korean volleyball player
See also
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List of Korean given names
This is a list of Korean given names by type. Most Korean given names consist of two Sino-Korean morphemes each written with one hanja. There are also names with more than two syllables, often from native Korean vocabulary. Finally, there are a sm ...
*
Sora Jung
Sora Jung (born as Kim Seo-ra on 29 January 1968) is a South Korean television actress. Her first appearance was the role of Kim Hyon-hui in the film '' Mayumi'' directed by Shin Sang-ok based on the bombing of Korean Air Flight 858. She app ...
(Revised Romanization: ''Jeong Seora''; born 1968), South Korean television actress
References
{{given name
Korean feminine given names