# Chae

Chae (Korean: 채), also less commonly spelled Chai or Chea, is a Korean family name. Its meaning differs based on the hanja used to write it.

## Overview

The 2000 South Korean Census found 119,251 people with the family name Chae. It could be written with any of three hanja, indicating different lineages. In a study by the National Institute of the Korean Language based on year 2007 application data for South Korean passports, it was found that 87.8% of people with this surname spelled it in Latin letters as Chae in their passports. Another 7.5% spelled it as Chai, 2.8% as Che, and 1.7% as Chea.

### Most common (蔡)

蔡 (성씨 채 songssi chae) is by far the most common of the three Chae surnames. This character is also used to write the Chinese family name pronounced Cài ([t͡sʰai̯˥˩]) in Mandarin. The 2000 Census found 114,069 people and 35,099 households with this surname, divided among seventeen reported bon-gwan (clan hometowns, not necessarily the actual residence of clan members), as well as eighty-six people whose bon-gwan was not stated:
* Pyonggang, Kangwon (today in North Korea): 69,256 people and 21,373 households They claim descent from Chae Song-nyeon (채송년; 蔡松年), an official under Gojong of Goryeo.
* Incheon, Gyeonggi (today in South Korea): 37,391 people and 11,415 households They claim descent from Chae Seon-mu (채선무; 蔡先茂), who lived sometime during mid-Goryeo Dynasty.
* Other or unreported bon-gwan: 7,422 people and 2,311 households

### Second-most common (菜)

菜 (나물 채 namul chae) is the second-most common of the three Chae surnames. The 2000 Census found 3,516 people and 1,067 households with this surname, divided among two reported bon-gwan:
* Yeongyang, North Gyeongsang (today in South Korea): 1,816 people and 576 households
* Jinju, South Gyeongsang: 1,627 people and 483 households
* Other or unreported bon-gwan: 73 people and eight households

### Least common (采)

采 (풍채 채 pungchae chae, 캘 채 kael chae) is the least common of the three Chae surnames. The 2000 Census found 1,666 people and 566 households with this surname, with one reported bon-gwan:
* Yeosan: 1,637 people and 562 households
* Other or unreported bon-gwan: 29 people and two households

### People

People with these family names include:
* Esther K. Chae, Korean-American actress
* Chae Eui-jin, South Korean voice actor
* Chae Eun-hee (born 1982), South Korean marathon runner
* Piglet (gamer) (born Chae Gwang-jin, 1994), South Korean League of Legends coach
* Chae Ho-ki (born 1957), South Korean poet
* Hyungwon (born Chae Hyung-won, 1994), South Korean singer, member of boy band Monsta X
* Chae Ji-hoon (born 1974) South Korean short track speed skater
* Ji Young Chae (born 1993), South Korean ballet dancer
* Chae Jong-hyeop (born 1993), South Korean actor
* Chae Jung-an (born 1977), South Korean actress and singer
* Junseok Chae (?–2020), South Korean engineer and academic administrator
* Chae Keun-bae (born 1970), South Korean sport shooter
* Chae Man-sik (1902–1950), Korean novelist
* Chae Min-seo (born 1981), South Korean actress
* Chae Myung-shin (1926–2013), South Korean army general
* Nelson Chai (born 1965), American investment banker
* Chae Ri-na (born 1977), South Korean singer
* Chae Shi-ra (born 1968), South Korean actress
* Chae Su-chan (born 1955), South Korean academic and politician
* Chae Sung-bae (born 1968), South Korean heavyweight boxer
* Chae Sang-byung (born 1979), South Korean baseball player
* Chae Seon-ah (born 1992), South Korean volleyball player
* Chea Song-joo (born 1998), South Korean figure skater
* Chae Sang-woo (born 1999), South Korean actor
* Chae Soo-bin (born 1994), South Korean actress
* Chae YuJung (born 1995), South Korea badminton player