Hee
A Korean feminine name meaning "cheerful" or "bright".
Name Census estimates that about 24 living Americans carry the first name Hee. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Hee today is around 47 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hee births was 1982 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hee. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Hee. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
24
~ 1 in 14,281,431 Americans
Peak year
1982
6 babies that year
Average age
47
years old
1989 SSA rank
#11,334
Tracked since 1960
Popularity
Hee: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Hee from the 1960s through to the 1980s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 22 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hee 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 Hee during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Hees live
Origin
Meaning and history of Hee
The name Hee has its origins in the Korean language and culture, with its earliest known usage dating back to the ancient kingdoms of the Korean Peninsula. One of the earliest recorded examples of the name can be found in the Samguk Sagi, a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, which was completed in 1145 AD.
In the Korean language, the name Hee is derived from the word "hee" (희), which means "bright" or "radiant." This association with light and brightness has often led the name to be interpreted as a symbol of joy, happiness, and optimism. It is believed that parents would bestow this name upon their child with the hope that they would bring light and positivity into the world.
Throughout Korean history, there have been several notable figures who bore the name Hee. One of the earliest was Hee Hwang (581-644 AD), a renowned Buddhist monk and scholar during the Silla Kingdom, who is credited with introducing the Hwaeom (Huayan) school of Buddhism to Korea. Another prominent bearer of the name was Hee Ja (1741-1826), a revered Confucian scholar and calligrapher during the Joseon Dynasty.
Moving forward in time, the name Hee gained international recognition in the 20th century with the rise of Hee-sook Kim (1910-1998), a South Korean poet and feminist activist who played a pivotal role in the Korean women's rights movement. Her works, which often explored themes of love, nature, and the female experience, earned her widespread critical acclaim and numerous literary awards.
In the realm of sports, Hee-won Han (born 1988) is a notable figure, having represented South Korea in archery at multiple Olympic Games and winning gold medals in both the individual and team events at the 2012 London Olympics.
Another significant figure bearing the name Hee is Hee Seok Kim (1894-1986), a Korean independence activist and politician who served as the first Vice President of South Korea from 1948 to 1960. His unwavering dedication to the cause of Korean independence and his efforts in establishing the modern South Korean state have cemented his place in the nation's history.
While these are just a few examples, the name Hee has been carried by many other remarkable individuals throughout the centuries, each contributing to the rich tapestry of Korean culture and heritage. Its enduring popularity and positive connotations continue to make it a cherished name choice for many families in Korea and beyond.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Hee
People
Hee + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hee as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with H
Other first names starting with H with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Hee: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hee?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 24 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hee 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 14,281,431 US residents.
Is Hee a common name?
We classify Hee as "Very Rare". It ranks above 43% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 27 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hee most popular?
The single biggest year for Hee was 1982, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hee is about 47 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Hee a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Hee 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.