Korean Job Discussion Forums

[proustme]

I wonder what English names are particularly popular among Koreans. There seems to be a wide range of names, though. Some I've come across have been pretty funny and quirky (e.g. Felix)! Let's keep this thread updated, and post back here to update any changes -- some coworkers constantly change their name!

Here goes...at my public schools I've worked at:

- Charlie
- Felix
- Rain Man (formerly Felix which lasted 2 weeks)
- Christine
- Rosa

[richardlang]

Eddie

[kerbythepurplecow]

At an open class, I met a Korean English teacher who called herself Penguin. It was confusing at first when she kept asking questions about what Penguin was doing and what not. Speaking later with the NET, he had no idea how said name came about.

[Bearach]

Jinny was popular at my last school, and one teacher at my current school uses it too. Never heard of it back home though...

[andrewchon]

You've never heard of "I Dream of Genie"?

One time I had students choose English names for them, by them.
They chose:
-Harry Potter
-Ethan later Antonio (Hawke and Banderas?)
-Jessica then Sarah when I said 'Jessica Simpson'
-Steven Hawking

One wanted to change her Korean name because it sounded like 하수도's English equivalent.

[tokkibunni8]

Ice
Dragon
Chloe
Patty
Dancer

just a few

[jmuns]

[littlelisa]

At my school now, they thankfully use Korean names, not silly English ones.

Here's my list that I remember:

Joy (for a boy)
Mini
Harry (for a girl)
Jinny
Vianney
Tiger
Apple
Gain
Ace

But I think valid English names like Felix and Chloe are alright. I actually really like Felix.

[Olivencia]

Henry and Bertha

[Katchafire]

Teachers: Quite a few Jennifer's and Sunny's.

Students: Tom's and Jerry's everywhere

[candiep20]

I've had:

Tiger
Beauty
Koala
Lion

and have met a few Koreans named Grace and Kay.

[Smee]

Gordana, awesome avatar.

Last year there was a substitute teacher for a month. I asked her name and she said "call me Silver." I'm not calling a grown-ass woman "Silver," so I asked her "real" name and she told me her Korean one. Most of the time I just call Koreans by their Korean names, because I'm not going to indulge the stupid ones they pick for themselves.

In March I found a list of names the students at my school's afterschool English program were using to choose names. I try to be happy and optimistic, but you know what, I'm this close [motions with fingers] to deciding that Koreans should not be permitted to use English without supervision:

http://jeongah.com/zeroboard/view.php?id=bbs_pum&no=23

[littlelisa]

That list is hilarious, Smee!

Your post reminded me that I should include adult Korean teachers' names too. One asked me (seriously) to call him "Little Prince".

[Moldy Rutabaga]

When I taught teachers, I had names like Tarzan, Superman, Mike Tyson, and Bill Gates for the quirkier students. I had an Achilles who thought he was a Greek hero but never quite realized that the rest of the class was laughing at his name. I had the usual names Kate, Christine, Sunny, Sarah, Susan, Michelle, and other 's' sibilant names.

Religious names such as Paul, Peter, John, James, Mark were popular, and every class had a Catholic ajumma named Grace. If I run into previous students who are older women and I can't remember their names, Grace works about half the time.

I had two cool women named Jasmine and Amber, and when I told them their names sounded like exotic dancers they laughed (they were adults, remember).

[Burndog]

Teachers - Lotus, Sweetie (I kid you not), Maggie, Cindy, Julie, and Nancy.

Students - Shark (still my favourite), Ace, Candy, Alyssa, Harry (about seven boys named Harry), Robbie, and a few girls names Sally.

I'm the same as Smee...i generally go with their Korean names....i can't bring myself to call a colleague "Sweetie"...it feels un-natural and weird...especially in front of a class full of Grade 6 kids. No.