Kang (Korean surname)


Kang is a Korean family name. Altogether, the holders of this name number are 1,176,847 in South Korea, according to the 2015 national census, ranking 6th largest Korean family name. The name "Kang" can actually represent any of 5 different hanja, or Chinese characters. However, the great majority bear the surname 姜, related to the Chinese surname pronounced Jiāng.

Clans

s whose surname uses the Hanja character 姜 include the clans of Jinju and Geumcheon seat. The majority belong to the Jinju Kang clan is said to be descended from Goguryeo commander Kang Isik. The Gumcheon Kang clan is descended from an ancestors whose ancestral seat was Geumcheon, now part of Seoul.
Clans whose surname uses the Hanja character 康 include Sincheon and Youngkang/Yeonggang. The Sincheon Kang clan is further subdivided into Goksan and Chaeryeong.

Notable individuals

Historic