Fun Facts About the Name Hyun
- 436 babies named Hyun: U.S. records list 436 babies given the name Hyun from 1880 through 2025. Even 168 girls received the name Hyun - about 1 girl for every 2 boys.
What Does the Name Hyun Mean?
Hyun is a Korean given name written 현 in Hangul; when it is written with the hanja 賢, its meaning is "wise" or "virtuous." The name belongs to the Sino-Korean layer of Korean, so the romanization does not fix a single meaning: the meaning comes from the hanja chosen for the syllable. Other hanja read 현 include 玄 ("dark, black, mysterious"), 顯 ("manifest, illustrious"), and 炫 ("bright, shining"). If the name is written only in Hangul, no specific meaning can be assigned.
Hyun Name History & Origins
The syllable 현 is a Sino-Korean reading: it comes from Chinese characters as pronounced in Korean. Korean given names built from such syllables became established after Chinese writing and naming practices were adopted on the Korean peninsula, and they were standard among elite families in the Goryeo and Joseon periods. Before the introduction of Hangul in the fifteenth century, a name of this kind was written with its chosen hanja; afterward, Hangul could record the sound 현 while hanja continued to carry the specific meaning.
As a given name, Hyun is usually a one-syllable name or one syllable within a two-syllable name; it does not have a single fixed meaning across bearers. Its romanization varies: Revised Romanization writes Hyeon, McCune-Reischauer writes Hyŏn, and Hyun is a common English-language spelling. The same romanization can also represent the surname 玄, but that is a separate family-name usage.
How Popular is the Name Hyun?
Hyun has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1989. Its best rank was #3,458 in 1972.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | #13,025 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1997 | #14,582 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1995 | #10,937 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1994 | #12,345 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1993 | #10,995 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1992 | #9,806 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1991 | #12,053 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1989 | #9,035 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1988 | #8,684 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1987 | #11,957 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1985 | #11,270 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1984 | #11,008 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1982 | #6,075 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1981 | #6,497 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1980 | #8,461 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1979 | #6,363 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1977 | #8,830 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1976 | #7,578 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1975 | #6,133 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1974 | #5,929 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1972 | #8,734 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1971 | #6,215 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1968 | #7,413 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1957 | #6,447 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #12,731 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2016 | #12,940 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2008 | #13,274 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 2007 | #13,067 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 2006 | #9,959 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 2004 | #9,294 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2003 | #11,544 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2002 | #11,335 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2001 | #7,819 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2000 | #7,725 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1998 | #7,898 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1997 | #7,585 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1996 | #4,709 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1995 | #5,658 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1994 | #6,036 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1993 | #5,147 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1992 | #4,417 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1991 | #7,638 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1990 | #4,807 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1989 | #3,895 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1988 | #4,012 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1987 | #3,827 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1986 | #4,252 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1985 | #4,867 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1984 | #4,345 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1983 | #5,763 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1981 | #4,696 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1980 | #4,677 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1978 | #4,309 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1977 | #5,404 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1976 | #5,950 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1975 | #5,057 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1972 | #3,458 | 9 | 0.0006% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Hyun Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You attract success and money. You are a lover of nature and do not need others for your happiness. You are self sufficient. You strive for material success and power and have business sense. You possess strong organizational abilities, can be a good manager, and executive by nature. You are capable of great achievement in business and finance. You are inventive, intuitive and extremely methodical. Since your will is so strong, you are hard to convince. You also dislike advice. You love beauty and philosophy, and you desire achievement. You have a strong need for freedom - physical, mental and spiritual.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Hyun's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Hyun's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.