Kyung-ja

Kyung-ja (also spelled Kyong-ja, Kyoung-ja, or Gyeong-ja) is a Korean feminine given name. It is an alternate transcription of Korean Hangul 경자 (see Gyeong-ja). Like many Korean names ending in -ja, it is composed of the Sino-Korean element 子 (ja meaning "child") combined with hanja characters such as 慶 (gyeong meaning "congratulate, celebrate") or 敬 (gyeong meaning "respect, honour"). Other character combinations are possible.

History and Popularity

Kyung-ja emerged as a popular name for girls in Korea during the period of Japanese colonial rule (1910–1945). The Japanese influenced naming conventions by promoting the use of the character 子 (pronounced ko in Japanese and ja in Korean), resulting in many Korean names ending with -ja, such as Young-ja and Jeong-ja. According to South Korean government data, Kyung-ja was the third-most popular name for newborn girls in 1940. However, after Korea's liberation in 1945, Japanese cultural influences were rejected, and these names fell out of favor. By 1950, no names ending in -ja appeared in the top ten. The Japanese reading of the same name is Keiko, formed with the same hanja characters.

Notable Bearers

• Kyung-ja Chun (1924–2015), South Korean painter
• Choi Kyong-ja (born 1930s), South Korean table tennis player who won multiple international medals between 1957 and 1964
• Na Moon-hee (born Na Kyung-ja, 1941), South Korean actress
• Yi Kyoung-ja (born 1948), South Korean writer
• An Gyeong-ja (born 1954), South Korean former volleyball player

The name's association with various accomplished figures across arts and sports reflects its historical significance and continuing use.

• Meaning: Various combinations of hanja; often includes "庆" (congratulate) or "敬" (respect) with "子" (child)
• Origin: Korean (Sino-Korean characters)
• Type: Given name (feminine)
• Usage: Korean