Eun
A feminine Korean name meaning "grace" or "flower."
Name Census estimates that about 268 living Americans carry the first name Eun. It is a predominantly female name (98.3% of registrations). The average person named Eun today is around 43 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Eun births was 1989 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Eun. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
268
~ 1 in 1,278,934 Americans
Peak year
1989
14 babies that year
Average age
43
years old
1989 SSA rank
#8,301
Tracked since 1957
Gender
Gender distribution for Eun
Eun leans heavily female at 98.3% of total registrations, but 5 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Eun as a male name
- Ranked #8,301 in 1989
- 5 male births in 1989
- Peak: 1989 (5 births)
Eun as a female name
- Ranked #12,843 in 2003
- 7 female births in 2003
- Peak: 1985 (13 births)
Popularity
Eun: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Eun from the 1950s through to the 2000s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 100 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Eun by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Eun during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Euns live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. Kansas, California, New York recorded the most babies named Eun, while New York, California, Kansas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 23 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Eun
The name Eun has its origins in Korean culture, derived from the word "eun" which means "silver" or "graceful." It is a unisex name that has been used for centuries in Korea.
During the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392 CE), the name Eun was popular among the nobility and aristocratic families. It was often given to children born into these distinguished households, representing the hopes for grace, purity, and elegance.
In ancient Korean literature, such as the Samguk Yusa (Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms), there are references to individuals bearing the name Eun. One notable example is Eun Haengrang, a Silla scholar and poet who lived during the 7th century CE.
The earliest recorded use of the name Eun can be traced back to the Silla Kingdom (57 BCE - 935 CE). One of the most famous individuals with this name was Eun Yeomun, a revered Buddhist monk and scholar who lived during the 7th century CE. He is renowned for his contributions to the spread of Buddhism in the Korean peninsula.
Throughout Korean history, several notable figures have borne the name Eun. This includes Eun Boksu (1637-1698), a Confucian scholar and thinker during the Joseon Dynasty, known for his influential works on Neo-Confucianism. Another prominent figure was Eun Heekyung (1928-2005), a celebrated Korean novelist and poet whose works explored themes of identity, war, and social change.
In more recent times, the name Eun has been carried by individuals such as Eun Jiwon (1947-), a South Korean diplomat and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Eun Yeejung (1993-), a popular South Korean actress and singer.
The name Eun continues to be a popular choice among Korean families today, reflecting its deep-rooted cultural significance and the enduring appreciation for its connotations of grace, elegance, and purity.
People
Eun + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Eun as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with E
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Eun: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Eun?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 268 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Eun going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,278,934 US residents.
Is Eun a common name?
We classify Eun as "Very Rare". It ranks above 77.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 290 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Eun most popular?
The single biggest year for Eun was 1989, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Eun is about 43 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Eun a female name?
Yes, 98.3% of people registered as Eun in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.