Seong-su

Seong-su (also spelled Sung-soo, Song-su) is a Korean male given name. Its popularity peaked in mid-20th century South Korea: it was the third-most popular name for baby boys in 1950, falling to seventh place in 1960.

Etymology

Seong-su is formed from Sino-Korean hanja characters. The first syllable seong can be written with characters meaning "completed, finished, succeeded" (成) or "holy, sacred" (聖). The second syllable su is typically written with 洙 (su), a character referring to a river in China. Many other hanja combinations are possible, allowing families to choose characters with specific meanings.

Notable Bearers

• Kim Seong-su (1891–1955), Korean independence activist
• Kim Sung-su (born 1961), South Korean film director
• Doha Kang (born Kang Seong-su, 1969), South Korean manhwa artist
• Park Sung-soo (born 1970), South Korean archer
• Kim Sung-soo (born 1975), South Korean actor
• Kim Seong-soo (born 1992), South Korean football midfielder
• Hwang Song-su (born 1987), Zainichi Korean football player
• Eun Seong-soo (born 1993), South Korean football midfielder
• Park Seong-su (born 1996), South Korean football goalkeeper

Cultural Significance

Seong-su reflects common Korean naming practices, where two-Sino-Korean-syllable given names are chosen for their positive meanings. The name peaked during a era of Korean history marked by war and reconstruction.

• Meaning: Completed/holy + river; many combinations
• Origin: Korean (Sino-Korean)
• Variants: Sung-soo
• Usage regions: South Korea