# Hong (Korean surname)

Hong is the common English spelling of 홍, in hanja, it means "wide" or "big".

## Clans

As with all Korean family names, the holders of the Hong surname are divided into different patrilineal clans, or lineages, based on their ancestral seat. Most such clans trace their lineage back to a specific founder. This system was at its height under the yangban aristocracy of the Joseon Dynasty, but it remains in use today. There are approximately 241 such clans claimed by South Koreans. Historically, there had been 10 clans known but currently there are four clans remaining. Hong clans include Namyang, Pungsan, Bugye, and Hongju.

### Namyang clan

The biggest clan is Namyang clan (Korean: 남양 홍씨; Hanja: 南陽 洪氏; RR: Namyang Hongssi) whose founder was Hong Eun-yeol in the Goryeo Dynasty. Another founder of this clan was Hong Seon-haeng. Thus, the Namyang Hong clan is unique among Korean surnames in that it includes two separate unrelated family lines.

### Pungsan clan

All ancestry of Andong's Pungsan Hong (Korean: 풍산 홍씨; Hanja: 豊山 洪氏; RR: Pungsan Hongssi) may be traced to the Goryeo dynasty's Hong Ji-gyeong, later known as a great master of Korean classical verse in the Joseon Dynasty. The Pungsan Hong were known as yangban among yangbans. Hong Jin was a direct descendant of Hong Ji-gyeong.

## List from the past

Famous Koreans from the past with this family name:
* Hong Beom-do (1868–1943), Korean independence activist
* Hong Dae-yong (1731-1783), Joseon philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician
* Hong Gyeong-nae (1771–1812), Joseon rebel leader
* Hong Jin (1877–1946), Korean independence activist
* Hong Sa-ik (1889–1946), Korean-Japanese war criminal

## Current notable people

* Hong Ah-reum (born 1989), South Korean actress
* Hong Bi-ra (born 1996), South Korean actress
* Hong Byung-hee (born 1971), South Korean chemist
* Hong Chul (born 1990), South Korean footballer
* DPR Live (born Hong Da-bin, 1993), South Korean rapper
* Hong Eun-hee (born 1980), South Korean actress
* Euny Hong, Korean American journalist and author
* Francis Hong Yong-ho (1906–?), Roman Catholic prelate in North Korea
* Gene Hong, Korean American actor, producer, and screenwriter
* Hong Hei-Kyung (born 1959), Korean-American operatic soprano
* Hong Hwa-ri (born 2005), South Korean actress
* Hong In-young (born 1985), South Korean actress
* Jay Hong (born 1986), South Korean singer-songwriter and producer
* Hong Jeong-ho (born 1989), South Korean football player
* Hong Jin-kyung (born 1977), South Korean entrepreneur, model, actress and comedian
* Hong Jin-young (born 1985), South Korean singer
* Hong Jong-hyun (born 1990), South Korean model and actor
* Hong Joon-pyo (born 1953), South Korean politician
* Joshua (singer) (born Joshua Hong, 1995), American singer, member of boy band Seventeen
* Hong Jung-eun (born 1974), South Korean screenwriter
* Hong Jung-wook (born 1970), South Korean entrepreneur, businessman, and politician
* Hong Kyung (born 1996), South Korean actor
* Hong Kyung-min (born 1976), South Korean singer
* Hong Mi-ran (born 1977), South Korean screenwriter
* Hong Myung-bo (born 1969), South Korean football manager
* Nansook Hong (born 1966), South Korean author
* Hong Sang-soo (born 1960), South Korean film director and screenwriter
* Hong Seo-young (born 1995), South Korean actress, singer, and model
* Hong Seok-cheon (born 1971), South Korean actor
* Hong Seok-hyun (born 1949), South Korean media mogul
* Seokju Hong (born 2003), South Korean football player
* Hong Seong-chan (born 1997), South Korean tennis player
* Hong Seung-han (born 2003), South Korean singer, former member of boy band Riize
* Hong Seung-hee (born 1997), South Korean actress
* Sin Cha Hong (born 1943), South Korean modern dancer
* Giriboy (born Hong Si-young, 1991), South Korean rapper
* Hong Song-nam (1929–2009), North Korean politician
* Hong Sook-ja (born 1933), South Korean activist, politician, and writer
* Dana (South Korean singer) (born Hong Sung-mi, 1986), South Korean singer
* Jvcki Wai (born Hong Ye-eun, 1996), South Korean rapper
* Hong Ye-ji (born 2002), South Korean actress
* Hong Yeo-jin (born 1958), South Korean actress and beauty pageant titleholder
* Hong Yo-seob (born 1955), South Korean actor
* Hong Yong-Jo (born 1982), North Korean football player