Ko (Korean surname)


Ko, also variously romanized Go, Goh, or Koh, is a common Korean surname.
Among Koreans with this surname, the largest clan is the, named for its bon-gwan of Jeju Island; they claim descent from, the first ruler of the kingdom of Tamna, which ruled Jeju until being absorbed by the Joseon dynasty.

Origin

According to the Samguk Sagi, the Goguryeo royal family claimed descent from the mythical god Gao Yang, who was the grandson of the Yellow Emperor of Chinese mythology, and thus took the surname of "Go" ; however, this legend was discredited in the commentaries by Kim Pusik, the compiler of the Samguk Sagi, who concluded that both Baekje and Goguryeo originated from Buyeo.
Liaoyang based Go family is The Royal of Goguryeo, Northern Yan ruler Gao Yun, Tang dynasty general Gao Xianzhi has Goguryeo origin. In South Korea, Hoengseong Go clan is also descended from the Royal dynasty of Goguryeo and the clan's genealogy book specifies Dongmyeong of Goguryeo as the direct ancestor.

Statistics

According to the 2000 South Korean census, there were 435,839 people in 135,488 households with this surname. Among these, 325,950 people in 100,954 households were members of the Jeju Go clan. In a study based on a sample of applications for South Korean passports in 2007, 67.5% chose to spell it as Ko, 18.3% as Go, and 11.4% as Koh.

Go or Goh

Ko or Koh