| Heo | |
| Hangul | 허 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | |
| Revised Romanization | Heo |
| McCune–Reischauer | Hŏ |
Heo is a family name in Korea.
It is also often spelled as Hur or Huh, or less commonly as Her. In South Korea in 1985, out of a population of between roughly 40 and 45 million, there were approximately 264,000 people surnamed Heo. The name is also found in North Korea. The character used for the name (許) means to permit or advocate.
The Heos traditionally trace their ancestry to Queen Heo Hwang-ok, the wife of King Suro of Geumgwan Gaya, one of ancient kingdoms in Korea. Her native kingdom is believed to be located in India.[1] She bore ten sons, two of whom retained the Queen's name. The Heos are traditionally considered distant kins of the Gimhae Kim clan, who trace their ancestry to the other sons of King Suro.[2]
As with most other Korean family names, there are many Heo clans, including the Gimhae clan and the Yangchon clan. Each clan consists of individual Heo families. Even within each clan, people in different families are not necessarily related to each other. These distinctions are important, since Korean law used to prohibit intermarriage in the same clan, no matter how remote the relationship; now, however, only those in a relationship of second cousins or closer may not marry. [2]
As with other Korean family names, the Heo clans are distinguished by the place from which they claim to originate.[2]