Kwon Family History

Korean (Kwon): there is only Chinese character for the Kwon surname. Some sources list as many as 56 clans, but only two are documented. One of these, the Andong Kwon clan, was founded by a Shilla aristocrat named Kim Shin who helped Wang Kon, the founder of the Koryo kingdom, establish himself as ruler in 918. The new king bestowed upon Kim Shin a new surname: Kwon, meaning ‘authority’. The Andong Kwon clan has one of the oldest extant printed genealogies in Korea. The Yech’on Kwon clan’s original surname was Hun. However, the name Hun was chosen for the Koryo king Myongjong’s posthumous name in 1197. To avoid having living people using a king’s posthumous name, the Hun family were directed to change their name to Kwon. The head of the Hun clan at this time became Kwon So, the founding ancestor of the Yech’on Kwon clan. Approximately two thirds of all present-day Kwon clan members live in the Kyongsang provinces. Chinese : variant of Guan 1. Chinese : variant of Guan 2.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press