Yoo — also spelled Ryu or Yu or You or Ryoo — is the English transcription of several Korean surnames written as 유 or 류 in Hangul. Some of the family names written as Yoo are derived from the Chinese surnames 劉 or 柳 (Liu) and 兪 (Yu). As of 2000, roughly a million people are surnamed Yoo in South Korea, making up approximately 2% of the population. Of those, the most common is Ryu (Hanja:柳, Hangul:류), with more than six hundred thousand holders, whereas Yu (Hanja:兪, Hangul:유) accounts for about one hundred thousand.
The family name Yoo can be represented by any of the four Hanja: 柳(류), 劉, 兪 and 庾, each with a different meaning. In Korean, only the character 柳 specifically refers to 류 (Ryu) or 유 (Yoo), whereas the characters 劉, 兪 and 庾 refers to 유 (Yu) and is spelled as such; because of its First Initial Sound Rule (두음 법칙).
Surname: Hanja: 劉 / 刘, Hangul:유,류 Pinyin: Liú. A very common surname, as it was used by the ruling family of the Han Dynasty.
Notable 柳 (Ryu) clans include the Munhwa Ryoo and the Pungsan Ryoo.
According to Chinese legend, Yoo is an ancient Chinese surname. The ancestors of the surname were closely linked with the ancient sage-king named Yu Shun. In Korea, the Yoo lineage traces to the Xia, Han, and Joseon dynasties. Holders of the surname Yu or Yoo had a reputation for charity and diligence. Some sources indicate the existence of as many as 230 clans, but only about twenty have been be positively documented, several of Chinese origin.
The largest Ryu clan, the Munhwa Ryu, was founded by a man named Ch’a Tal. Ch’a’s fifth great-grandfather had been involved in an attempt to overthrow the Silla king. To avoid prosecution, the ancestor fled to Munhwa and changed his surname, first to that of his maternal grandmother, Yang, and then to Ryoo. Many years later, Ch’a Tal assisted Wang Kŏn to establish the Koryŏ Kingdom. Ch’a was recognized for his support and was rewarded accordingly. However, the historic claims that the Ch'a clans are derived from the same progenitor as Ryu Ch'a-dal have been disproven. The Munhwa Ryoo clan, along with the Andong Kwŏn clan, possess one of Korea's oldest clan genealogies. Only the character 柳 is commonly pronounced Ryu or Ryoo (류). (See Munhwa Ryoo) The surname "Ryoo" comes from the character meaning willow tree. Hence, the lineage is also sometimes called "willow Ryoo" (버들 류씨).
Ryoo Cha-dalYoo Chang, founder of the "Myogeumdo" (劉) Yoos (sometimes known as the "Gangneung Yoo clan"), who was among the founders of the Joseon Dynasty.Yu Deuk-gongYu Eung-bu, one of the Six martyred ministers during the Joseon Dynasty.Ryu Gwan-sunYu Hyeong-wonYu Kil-chun, of the Gigye Yoo clan originally from PohangYu Seong-won, one of the Six martyred ministers during the Joseon Dynasty.Yu Seong-ryongYu Su-won, politician and Neo-Confucianism scholar and the early Silhak school philosopher of the Joseon Dynasty.Il-han NewYoo Ah-in (stage name), an actorYu Anjin, Korean poetYoo Ara, an actress and singer, former leader of Hello VenusYoo Chae-yeong (stage name), an actress and singerYoo Chang-hyun (better known as Ricky), a member of Teen TopYoo Dong-geun, an actorYoo Hae-jin, an actorYoo Ho-jeong, an actressYoo Hyun-young (better known as Hyun Young), an actressYoo In-na, an actressYoo In-young, an actressYoo Jae-ha, South Korean singer-songwriterYoo Jae-suk, a TV presenter, Host of Running Man and Host-in-chief of Infinite ChallengeYoo Jeong-yeon (better known as Jeong-yeon), a singer and Twice (band) memberYoo Ji-ae (better known as Jiae), a singer, a member of LovelyzYoo Ji-tae, an actor and directorYoo Jun-sang, an actorYoo Kihyun, South Korean singer, member of Monsta X (몬스타엑스)Yoo Sang-Chul, a soccer playerYoo Seung-ho, an actorYoo Seung-yeon (better known as Gong Seung-yeon), an actressYoo Si-ah (better known as YooA), a member of girl group Oh My GirlYoo Soo-Young (also known as "Shoo"), a singer and actressYoo So-young (stage name), an actress and former After School memberYu Yeon-jung, member of South Korean girl groups I.O.I and Cosmic GirlsYoo Yeon-seok (stage name), an actorYoo Yeon-soo (better known as Ha Yeon-soo), an actressYoo Yong-sung, a badminton playerYoo Young-ho, sculptorYoo Young-jae, a member of South Korean band B.A.PYoo Young-jin, a songwriterYou Hee-yeol, a singer-songwriterYu In-chon, an actor and politicianRyoo Ryong, a scientistRyoo Seung-bum, an actorRyoo Seung-wan, a directorRyu Deok-hwan, an actorRyu Hwayoung, an actress and former member of T-ARARyu Hyoyoung, an actress and former member of F-ve DollsRyu Hye-young, an actressHyun-Jin Ryu, South Korean baseball playerRyu Hyun-kyung, an actressRyu Jun-yeol, an actorRyu Sera, a singer, former member of Nine MusesRyu Seung-Min, a professional table tennis playerRyu Seung-ryong, an actorRyu Seung-soo, an actor and writerRyu Seung-Woo, a soccer playerRyu Shikun, a professional Go playerRyu Si-won, an actor and singerRyu So-yeon, a professional golferRyu Soo-young (stage name), an actorRyu Su-jeong (better known as Sujeong), a singer, a member of LovelyzRyu Jin (stage name), an actorRhyu Si-min, a politician, 2007 presidential candidate of the UNDP PrimaryJae Kuk Ryu, a professional baseball pitcher for the Tampa Bay Devil RaysAaron Yoo, a Korean-American actorBarom "Rome" Yu, Korean-Australian member of South Korean band C-ClownChristopher Yoo, a professor of Law, Communication, and Computer and Information Science at the University of Pennsylvania Law SchoolJohn Yoo, a professor of law at the University of California, Berkeley, best known for his work from 2001 to 2003 in the U.S. Justice Department's Office of Legal CounselYoo Gun Hyung, a songwriter who co-wrote "Gangnam Style"