Im (surname)
Im or Lim is a common Korean family name. The surname is identical to the Chinese character of the same name.[lower-alpha 1] According to the initial law of the Korean language, both "Im" and "Lim" are interchangeable.
| Pronunciation | [im] or [ɾim] | 
|---|---|
| Language(s) | Korean | 
| Origin | |
| Language(s) | Chinese | 
| Meaning | forest | 
| Region of origin | North and South Korea | 
| Other names | |
| Variant form(s) | Lin  Hayashi  | 
| Pronunciation | [im] | 
|---|---|
| Language(s) | Korean | 
| Origin | |
| Meaning | dependable, allow, appoint | 
| Region of origin | North and South Korea | 
| Im | |
| Hangul | |
|---|---|
| Hanja | |
| Revised Romanization | Im | 
| McCune–Reischauer | Im | 
History
    
The first clan branch is the Supul Rim (수풀 림, meaning "Forest-Rim") and its Hanja character is 林. The Supul Rim or Lim or Im branch consists of two large clan houses; the first is Naju (early Hoijin) and the second, which is the elder branch, is Pyeongtaek. Members of this branch often write their names as both 임 (Im; more common) and 림 (Rim or Lim; initial law). The character 林 means "forest".
The second clan branch is the Matgil Im (맡길 임) or Mateul Im (맡을 임) and its Hanja character is 任. The Matgil Im/Mateul Im branch consists of one large clan house called Pungcheon Im clan and a smaller clan house called Jangheung (장흥). Members of this clan branch both write and pronounce their names as 임 (Im). The character 任 means "trusted/to bear, duty".
Romanization
    
When 林 (림 or 임) is romanized, it is spelled as "Rim" or "Im" in McCune–Reischauer and Revised Romanization of Korean, as "Lim".
When 任 (임) is romanized, it is spelled as "Im" in McCune–Reischauer and Revised Romanization of Korean, or sometimes spelled "Yim".
Statistics from the year 2000 show that there were 762,767 수풀 림 (林, Rim) and 172,726 맡길 임 (任, Im) in South Korea.[1]
Notable people of the past
    
The following is a list of notable people of the past with the Korean family name Im/Lim/Rim. People should only be included in this list if they have their own Wikipedia articles or if they are discussed in a non-trivial fashion in Wikipedia articles on notable groups or events with which they are associated. Pratt's list contains 8 names.[2]
- Im Sahong (1445–1506)
 - Im Kkeokjeong (fl. 1559–1562), leader of the Hwanghae peasant rebellion (Noklimdang).
 - Im Che (1549-1587), pen name "Paekho", poet of the Joseon period.
 - Im Gyeong-eop (1594 – 1646), general of the Joseon period, instrumental in protecting Korea from Manchu invasion.
 - Im Yunjidang (1721-1793), she wrote the Yunjidang Yugo.
 - Im Sang-ok (1779–1885), a major ginseng trader of Joseon.
 
Notable people of the recent times
    
- Im Jae-hyuk, South Korean part-time actor
 - Dami Im, Australian-Korean singer and songwriter
 - Im Chang-kyun (stage name I.M), South Korean rapper and member of boy group Monsta X
 - Im Chang-jung, South Korean actor and singer
 - Im Dong-hyun, South Korean archer
 - Im Heung-soon, South Korean artist and director
 - Im Jin-ah (stage name Nana), South Korean singer, actress, and model, member of After School
 - Im Kwon-taek, South Korean film director
 - Im Na-yeon, South Korean singer and member of girl group Twice
 - Im Sang-soo, South Korean film director
 - Im Se-mi, South Korean actress
 - Im Si-wan, South Korean singer and actor, member of boy group ZE:A
 - Im So-eun (stage name NC.A), South Korean singer
 - Im Soo-hyang, South Korean actress
 - Im Soo-jung, South Korean actress
 - Im Sung-han, South Korean television screenwriter
 - Danny Im (stage name Taebin), Korean-American singer and member of group 1TYM
 - Im Won-sik, Korean conductor, composer, and educator
 - Im Yoon-ah, South Korean singer and actress, member of girl group Girls' Generation
 - Lim Hyung-joo, South Korean operatic pop (popera) tenor and classical crossover singer
 - Lim Chang-yong, South Korean baseball pitcher
 - Dong-Hyek Lim, South Korean classical pianist
 - Lim Dong-won, retired South Korean politician
 - Lim Eun-ji, South Korean pole vaulter
 - Lim Hyo-jun, South Korean short track speed skater, Olympic gold medalist
 - Lim Jae-beom (stage name Jay B), South Korean singer and actor, member of boy band Got7
 - Lim Ji-yeon,South Korean actress
 - Im Hyun-sik, South Korean singer and member of boy band BtoB
 - Lim Jeong-hee, South Korean singer
 - Lim Jeong-hyun, South Korean guitarist
 - Lim Ju-hwan, South Korean actor
 - Lim Na-young, South Korean singer, member of South Korean girl groups I.O.I and Pristin
 - Lim Seulong, South Korean singer and actor, member of boy group 2AM
 - Lim Sungbin (stage name Beenzino), South Korean rapper
 - Lim Yo-hwan, South Korean former professional StarCraft player
 - Rhim Ju-yeon, South Korean comics writer
 - Rim Jong-sim, North Korean Olympic weightlifter
 - Yim Bang-eun, South Korean badminton player
 - Yim Soon-rye, South Korean film director
 - Yim Sung-ah, South Korean professional golfer
 - Lim Young-woong, South Korean trot singer
 - Yunchan Lim, South Korean pianist
 
See also
    
    
Notes
    
    
References
    
- "행정구역(구시군)/성씨·본관별 가구 및 인구". Archived from the original on September 7, 2006. Retrieved January 22, 2006.
 - Pratt, p.548