Mo (Korean surname)


Mo is a common Korean surname, previously separate surnames related to the Chinese surnames Móu or Máo.

Overview

The surname Mo originated from either of two hanja, indicating different lineages. The 2000 South Korean census found a total of 19,834 people and 6,110 households with these family names. It is spelled Mo in all standard methods of romanizing the Korean language. In a study by the National Institute of the Korean Language based on 2007 application data for South Korean passports, all the applicants spelled this surname as Mo. The alternative spelling Moh is occasionally seen.

More common lineage

Bori Mo, also called so uneun sori Mo, is the more common of the two hanja used to write the surname Mo. This character was originally used to write a Chinese surname now pronounced Móu in Mandarin. In 1960 it was the 92nd-most common surname in South Korea, falling to 93rd by 1985. The 2000 South Korean census found 18,955 people with this family name, and 5,838 households. The surviving bon-gwan at that time included:
Teoreok Mo is the less common of the two hanja used to write the surname Mo. This character was originally used to write a Chinese surname now pronounced Máo in Mandarin. In 1960 it was the 146th-most common surname in South Korea, falling to 164th by 1985. The 2000 South Korean census found 879 people with this family name, and 272 households. The surviving bon-gwan at that time included:
People with this surname include: