Shin (Korean surname)

Shin is a Korean surname. Other rarer romanizations of this surname include Sin or Sheen.

Clans
There are three Chinese characters that can be read as Shin. Between these three characters, there are seven different Korean clans, each of which descends from a different ancestral founder. Two of the six, the Yeongsan Shin clan and the Geochang Shin clan, both trace their origins back to China. Members of the various Shin clans can be found throughout the Korean peninsula.

As with other Korean family names, the holders of the "Shin" family name are divided into various clans, each known by the name of a town or city, called bon-gwan in Korean. Usually that town or city is the one where the clan's founder lived. The six Shin branches are as follows:


 * Pyongsan Shin clan
 * Goryeong Shin clan (高靈 申)
 * Aju Shin clan (鵝洲 申)
 * Saknyeong Shin clan (朔寧 申)
 * Yeongsan Shin clan
 * Geochang Shin clan

Although the first four clans — Pyongsan, Goryeong, Aju, and Saknyeong — share the same Chinese character (申), they are unrelated in heritage.

The Pyongsan Shin clan lineage makes up about 70% of all those with the surname Shin using the Chinese character 申. The clan's founder was General Sin Sung-gyŏm. This clan associated with a mountain in North Korea called "Pyongsan" (平山, literally "mountain of peace"). Sin Sung-gyŏm was originally named Samneungsan (三能山, literally "mountain of three talents"), without a family name, before being granted the Sin surname by King Taejo of Goryeo.

According to the Pyongsan Shin family legend, one day when King Taejo and his generals went out hunting near Pyeongsan, Taejo saw three geese flying above, and asked his generals whether any of them could shoot the geese down. Sin Sung-gyŏm volunteered and asked Taejo which one he should shoot. Taejo asked Shin to shoot the third goose in its left wing and, to Taejo's surprise, Sin successfully felled the goose. Highly impressed, Taejo gifted Sin with 300 gyeol (결; 結, an ancient measurement of area) of local land, which became Sin's hometown.

Sin Sung-gyŏm also saved the life of King Taejo of Goryeo during a disastrous battle with Later Baekje near present-day Daegu in the early 10th century. Taejo awarded General Sin the clan name Pyongsan Sin, after his hometown, for the loyalty and bravery he showed in the battle. Other prominent members of this clan include the 16th-century artist, writer, and poet Shin Saimdang and the 19th-century pansori writer Shin Jae-hyo.

Every year, a number of descendants of the Pyongsan Shin clan gather at the memorial shrine of Sin Sung-gyŏm in the South Korean province of Gangwon Province. Prior to the Korean War, the original shrine was situated in the now North-Korean province of Hwanghae Province, to which the clan land of Pyeongsan traces its roots.

Another well-known family line that also uses the Hanja character 申 is the Goryeong Shin clan, descended from Shin Suk-ju, the lead scholar working with King Sejong the Great in the development of Hangul, the Korean written language. Shin Suk-ju was also a high ranking government minister and belonged to the Hall of Worthies. The Goryeong Shin lineage makes up about 17% of all those with the surname (申). Three of five members of Shin Suk-ju's 16th generation are known to have immigrated to the United States in the 1970s, such as the physician David Sheen. Another prominent member of the clan is Danjae Shin Chaeho, a 19th-century nationalist historian.

Historical

 * Sin Sung-gyŏm (died 927), general of the Later Three Kingdoms period.
 * Sin Ton (辛, died 1371), Buddhist monk and regent of the reign of King Gongmin of Goryeo.
 * Sin Suk-ju (1417-1475), scholar and government minister
 * Sin Saimdang (1504–1551), painter, calligrapher, Yi Yulgok's mother
 * Shin Gye-am, Jurchen and Manchu interpreter
 * Shin Gwang-su (1712–1775), poet
 * Sin Yun-bok (1758–?), painter also known as "Hyewon"
 * Shin Gyu-sik (1880–1936), Korean independence activist
 * Sin Chaeho (1880–1936), Korean independence activist, historian, nationalist and the founder of the nationalist historiography of Korea
 * Shin Sung-mo (1891–1960), politician
 * Shin Hyun-joon (1915–2007), military officer and diplomat
 * Shin Ik-hee, politician (1st and 2nd National Assembly Chairman of Republic of Korea, opposition party leader, presidential candidate)
 * Shin Kyuk-Ho (辛, 1922–2020), CEO and founder of Lotte Corporation

Contemporary

 * Shin A-lam (born 1986), South Korean épée fencer
 * Shin A-young (born 1987), South Korean television personality
 * Shin Ae (born 1982), South Korean actress
 * Shin Ae-ra (born 1969), South Korean actress
 * Shin Baek-cheol (born 1989), South Korean badminton player
 * Shin Bo-ra (born 1987), South Korean comedian, singer, and actress
 * Shin Bong-shik (born 1992), South Korean snowboarder
 * Shin Bong-sun (born 1980), South Korean comedian
 * Shin Cheol-jin (born 1956), South Korean actor
 * Shin Da-eun (born 1985), South Korean actress
 * Shin Daechul (born 1967), South Korean rock/heavy metal guitarist and leader of Sinawe
 * Shin Dong-bin (born 1956), Japanese-born South Korean businessman
 * Shin Dong-gab (stage name The Quiett, born 1985), South Korean rapper, composer, lyricist and record producer (co-founder of independent hip-hop label Illionaire Records)
 * Shin Dong-ho (born 1994), South Korean singer, former member of boy band U-KISS
 * Shin Dong-hee (stage name Shindong, born 1985), singer, dancer, member of boy band Super Junior
 * Shin Dong-hyuk (born 1980 or 1982), North Korean defector and human rights activist
 * Shin Dong-mi (born 1977), South Korean actress
 * Shin Dong-woo (stage name CNU, born 1991), South Korean singer and actor, member of boy group B1A4
 * Shin Dong-wook (born 1982), South Korean actor
 * Shin Dong-yeol (born 1980), South Korean rapper
 * Shin Dong-yup (born 1971), South Korean comedian and host
 * Eddie Shin (born 1976), American actor
 * Shin Eun-jung (born 1974), South Korean actress
 * Shin Eun-kyung (born 1973), South Korean actress
 * Shin Eun-soo (born 2002), South Korean actress
 * Shin Gabee (born 1993), South Korean dancer and choreographer
 * Shin Goo (born 1936), South Korean actor
 * Shin Ha-eun, South Korean television screenwriter
 * Shin Ha-kyun (born 1974), South Korean actor
 * Shin Ha-young (born 1993), South Korean actress
 * Shin Hae-chul (1968-2014), South Korean singer
 * Shin Hae-sook (born 1957), South Korean figure skater
 * Shin Hong-gi (born 1968), South Korean former football player
 * Shin Hwa-yong (born 1983), South Korean football player
 * Sin Hyejeong (born 1993), South Korean singer and actress, former member of girl group AOA
 * Shin Hye-sun (born 1989), South Korean actress
 * Shin Hye-sung (born 1979), South Korean singer-songwriter, member of boy band Shinhwa
 * Shin Hyo-seob (stage name Crush, born 1992), South Korean singer-songwriter
 * Shin Hyun-been (born 1986), South Korean actress
 * Hyun Ji Shin (born 1996), South Korean fashion model
 * Shin Hyun-joon (born 1968), South Korean actor
 * Shin Hyun-soo (born 1989), South Korean actor
 * Shin Hyung-min (born 1986), South Korean football player
 * Shin Jae-chul (1936–2012), South Korean martial artist
 * Shin Jae-ha (born 1993), South Korean actor
 * Jeena Shin (born 1973), New Zealand artist
 * Shin Jee-won (born 1996), South Korean actress and singer, former member of girl group Berry Good
 * Shin Jeong-ah (born 1972), survivor of the Sampoong Department Store collapse who later lied about her academic credentials
 * Shin Ji-hoon (born 1998), South Korean singer and actress
 * Shin Ji-min (born 1991), South Korean former singer and rapper, former member of girl group AOA
 * Shin Ji-soo (born 1994), South Korean singer and actress, former member of girl group D.Heaven
 * Shin Jin-seo (born 2000), South Korean professional Go player
 * Jiyai Shin (born 1988), South Korean professional golfer
 * Sin Joon-sik (born 1980), South Korean taekwondoist and Olympic silver medalist
 * Shin Joon-sup (1963), South Korean middleweight amateur boxer and Olympic Gold Medalist
 * Shin Jung-geun (born 1966), South Korean actor
 * Shin Jung-hwan (辛, born 1975), South Korean singer and entertainer
 * Shin Jung-hyeon (born 1938), South Korean rock guitarist and singer-songwriter
 * Shin Ki-joon (born 2001), South Korean actor
 * Shin Kuhn (辛), past director general of National Intelligence Service (South Korea)
 * Shin Kwang-ho (born 1983), South Korean artist
 * Shin Kwang-hoon (born 1987), South Korean football defender
 * Shin Kyeong-nim (1936–2024), South Korean writer
 * Shin Min-a (born 1984), South Korean actress and model
 * Shin Myung-chul (born 1978), second baseman in Korean baseball
 * Nelly Shin (born 1972), first Korean-Canadian Member of Parliament
 * Nelson Shin (born 1939), founder and president of Akom Production, Ltd.
 * Shin Ok-Cheol (stage name Outsider, born 1983), South Korean rapper
 * Oleksandr Sin (born 1961), Ukrainian politician and former mayor of Zaporizhia
 * Paull Shin (1935–2021), South Korean-American politician and member of the Washington State Senate
 * Peniel Shin (born 1993), South Korean-American singer, rapper, member of boy band BtoB
 * Peter Shin, American animator, director, and producer of animation films, most notably "Family Guy"
 * Shin Ryu-jin (born 2001), South Korean rapper and singer, member of girl group ITZY
 * Shin Se-kyung (born 1990), South Korean actress
 * Shin Seul-ki (born 1998), South Korean actress
 * Shin Seung-ho (born 1995), South Korean actor
 * Shin Seung-hun (born 1968), South Korean ballad singer
 * Shin Seung-hwan (born 1978), South Korean actor
 * Sin Son Ho (辛, born 1948), North Korean diplomat and Permanent Representative to the United Nations
 * Shin Su-ran (born 1986), South Korean singer
 * Shin Suk-ja (申, born 1942), South Korean political prisoner held in a North Korean political prison camp
 * Shin Sung-rok (born 1982), South Korean actor
 * Shin Tae-yong (born 1970), South Korean former professional footballer, current head coach of the Indonesia national football team
 * Shin Won-ho (born 1975), South Korean director and television producer
 * Shin Won-ho (born 1991), South Korean actor and member multinational boy band Cross Gene
 * Shin Won-ho (born 2001), South Korean footballer
 * Shin Woo-chul, South Korean television director
 * Shin Woo-hyun (born 2004), South Korean racing driver
 * Shin Ye-eun (born 1998), South Korean actress
 * Shin Yeon-suh (stage name Hana, born 1993), singer and actress, former member of girl group Gugudan
 * Shin Youngok (born 1961), South Korean classical soprano singer
 * Shin Young-rok (辛, born 1987), South Korean football player

Fictional

 * Stephen Shin, a character of DC Comic series Aquaman
 * Shin Kyung-soo, one of the two female leads of 2003 South Korean drama Rosemary
 * Shin Ji-hyun, main character of 2011 South Korean drama 49 Days
 * Shin Suk-ki, the main protagonist of 2004 South Korean movie Shinsukki Blues
 * Shin Ji-hoon, one of main characters of 2012 South Korean television series I Need Romance 2012
 * Shin Joo-yeon, female lead of 2014 South Korean series I Need Romance 3
 * Shin Ji-min, real name of Song Yi-kyung, a main character from 2011 South Korean drama 49 Days
 * Shin Chae-kyung, female lead of 2017 South Korean drama Queen for Seven Days
 * Shin Se-gi, split personality of Cha Do-hyun, a DID patient and main character of 2015 South Korean television series Kill Me, Heal Me
 * Shin Ha-kyung, female lead of 2014 South Korean series Punch
 * Shin Suk-ho, main lead of 2016 South Korean series Entertainer
 * Shin Woo Yeo, main lead of 2021 South Korean series My Roommate Is a Gumiho
 * Shin Young-joo, female lead of 2017 South Korean drama Whisper
 * Shin Sang, male character of 2021 South Korean series Mouse
 * Shin Ah-ri, one of the female leads of 2021 South Korean series No Matter What