남원 양씨(南原 梁氏) — The Namwon Yang clan (南原 梁氏) traces its branch founder to Yang U-ryang, who is said to have been enfeoffed as Lord of Namwon (Namwon-bubaek or Namwon-baek) during the Silla period. Its original progenitor is said to be Yang Eul-na (良乙那), one of the three divine founders of the Tamna kingdom, and the clan is said to have separated from the Jeju Yang clan. The Byeongbugong, Yongseong-gun and Daebang-gun branches take Namwon as their ancestral seat. The 2015 census counted 307,724 members, the 22nd largest clan. Notable members include the early Joseon scholar Yang Seong-ji, the Imjin War righteous army leader Yang Dae-bak, Yang Heon-su, who defended Jeongjoksanseong Fortress during the French campaign of 1866, and the independence activist Yang Se-bong.
The Namwon Yang clan (南原 梁氏) traces its branch founder to Yang U-ryang, who is said to have been enfeoffed as Lord of Namwon (Namwon-bubaek or Namwon-baek) during the Silla period. Its original progenitor is said to be Yang Eul-na (良乙那), one of the three divine founders of the Tamna kingdom, and the clan is said to have separated from the Jeju Yang clan. The Byeongbugong, Yongseong-gun and Daebang-gun branches take Namwon as their ancestral seat. The 2015 census counted 307,724 members, the 22nd largest clan. Notable members include the early Joseon scholar Yang Seong-ji, the Imjin War righteous army leader Yang Dae-bak, Yang Heon-su, who defended Jeongjoksanseong Fortress during the French campaign of 1866, and the independence activist Yang Se-bong. In the 2015 Census the 남원 양씨 clan numbered about 307,724 people, one of Korea's major surnames and clans. Even among people surnamed 양, a different clan seat (bon-gwan, 남원) means a different lineage. New to these terms? See the bon-gwan, pa & hangnyeol guide.
The original progenitor of the Namwon Yang clan is said to be Yang Eul-na (良乙那), one of the three divine founders of the Tamna kingdom. The Namwon Yang clan branched off from the Jeju Yang clan. In 1587 the Jeju and Namwon seats compiled a joint genealogy. In 1979 the Yugyeokgong, Daebang-gun, Yongseong-gun, Byeongbugong and Seongjugong branches jointly published the Yang Clan Grand Genealogy (Yangssi Daedongbo). Of these, the Daebang-gun, Yongseong-gun and Byeongbugong branches take Namwon as their seat.
The branch founder is Yang U-ryang (梁友諒). According to the Jinan and Hamyang local culture encyclopedias, Yang U-ryang was enfeoffed as Lord of Namwon (Namwon-baek) in 757, the 16th year of King Gyeongdeok of Silla, in recognition of his merit. His descendants then took Namwon as their seat and separated from the Jeju Yang clan. Korean Wikipedia gives his title as Namwon-bubaek (南原府伯) and notes that the clans of the Yang Central Clan Association revere him as their founding ancestor of the clan seat.
The Namwon local culture encyclopedia names Yang Tang (良宕) as the progenitor of the surname and Yang U-ryang as the settlement founder. Its text, however, states that Yang Ja-yeong (梁自瀛), eighth-generation descendant of Yang Tang, was made Lord of Namwon (Namwon-gun) under King Gyeongdeok, and the Bucheon encyclopedia also gives Yang Ja-yeong. The branch founder's name therefore appears as either Yang U-ryang or Yang Ja-yeong. His title is recorded variously as Namwon-bubaek, Namwon-baek or Namwon-gun. Accounts also differ on when Yang Tang went to Silla: 374 under King Naemul (Busan encyclopedia), 373 (Munyanggong branch sources), or the reign of King Taejong Muyeol (Bucheon encyclopedia).
Sources also disagree on the number of branches. The Namwon and Bucheon encyclopedias list two, the Byeongbugong and Yongseong-gun branches. Wikipedia adds the Daebang-gun branch for three, and the Busan encyclopedia (Nopo-dong entry) adds the Jangyeonggong branch for four.
The founder of the Chungju Yang clan is Yang Neung-gil (梁能吉), Prince Yeseong. Some sources list a Yeseong-gun branch under the Namwon Yang clan, but it belongs to the Chungju seat and should be kept separate.
The Yang (梁) Central Clan Association covers the Jeju, Namwon and Chungju seats. According to Wikipedia, in May 2025 the heads of six branches agreed to unify: the Yugyeokgong, Seongjugong, Byeongbugong, Yongseong-gun, Daebang-gun and Yeseong-gun branches. An older version of Namuwiki gives its office as Room 905, Samyoung Building, 111 Seosomun-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, but whether this is still current could not be confirmed.
The Namwon Yang Munyanggong Branch Grand Clan Association completed the Nuljae Hall (Yang Clan Hall) in April 2002 and runs a website (yangsungji.com). The Yang Clan Busan Association does not include a clan seat in its name and holds a general meeting every year.
Wikipedia gives the generation-name characters of the Byeongbugong branch for the 28th to 59th generations as follows. Of these, the 28th–31st and 44th–47th generations match the chart posted on a Daum cafe.
Sources only mention that the Yongseong-gun and Daebang-gun branches each use their own generation names; their actual charts could not be confirmed.
The 2015 Statistics Korea census counted 307,724 members of the Namwon Yang (梁) clan, ranking 22nd. In 2000 the figure was 218,546. A figure of 343,985 for 1985 appears on the Munyanggong branch website, but what it covers could not be confirmed. The Namwon Yang (楊) clan is a separate clan written with a different character and should not be confused with this one.
Byeongbu-gong-pa, Yongseong-gun-pa, Daebang-gun-pa, Jangyeonggong branch, Munyanggong branch, Susagong branch
The Byeongbu-gong branch regards as its first ancestor Yang Neung-yang (梁能讓), who is said to have served as a director in the Ministry of War and a tutor to the crown prince under King Seongjong of Goryeo. It is one of the three founding lines of the Namwon Yang clan, alongside the Yongseong-gun and Daebang-gun branches; its altar and tombs are at Junggwangwon in Singye-ri, Daesan-myeon, Namwon.
At the tenth generation it split into the Panseo-gong (Yang Dong-pil), Miljik-gong (Yang Song-jo), Mukjae-gong (Yang U), Jwaeju-gong (Yang Seo) and Jibui-gong (Yang Yun-yu) sub-branches. The independence army leader Yang Se-bong (梁世奉) descended from its Jwaeju-gong sub-branch.
The Yongseong-gun branch regards as its first ancestor Yang Ju-un (梁朱雲), who became a Chanhwa merit subject under King Wonjong of Goryeo and was enfeoffed as Yongseong Prince-Consort. Its shrine hall, Yongmanjae, is in Sanjeong-ri, Suji-myeon, Namwon.
It divides into two lines: the Daejehak-gong line of third-generation Yang Jung-gyu (梁仲奎) and the Jangyeong-gong line of Yang Yun-wi (梁潤渭). From the former came the Munjeol-gong, Busa-gong and Pyeongni-gong sub-branches of sixth-generation Yang Sa-do, Yang Sa-gwi and Yang Sa-cheol; from the latter came the Chambong-gong, Ipan-gong and Jeongguk-gong sub-branches, among others.
The Daebang-gun branch regards as its first ancestor Yang Su-jeong (梁水精), enfeoffed as Daebang Prince-Consort under King Chungseon of Goryeo; Daebang (帶方) is an old name for Namwon. Its altar, Sungmowon, is in Jungchon-ri, Sinan-myeon, Sancheong County, South Gyeongsang.
At the fourth generation it divided into sub-branches founded by Yang Gyeol (Busa-gong), Yang Min (Jeongui-gong), Yang Yeok (Yeonil-gong), Yang Gyo (Hyeongam-gong) and Yang Jun (Gunsu-gong), among others.
The Jangyeonggong branch is a branch of the Namwon Yang clan said to be founded by Yang Yun-wi (梁潤渭). It appears in the Nopo-dong entry of the Busan history and culture encyclopedia and on surname.info.
Sources differ on how many branches the clan has. The Namwon and Bucheon encyclopedias list two, the Byeongbugong and Yongseong-gun branches. Wikipedia adds the Daebang-gun branch for three, and it is the Busan encyclopedia that adds the Jangyeonggong branch for four.
The founder's dates, official career and the branch's home villages could not be confirmed.
The Munyanggong branch is a sub-branch of the Byeongbugong branch. Its founder is Yang Seong-ji, whose posthumous title was Munyang (文襄). Yang Seong-ji was the second son of Yang Gu-ju, Lord of Namwon and grandson of Yang U.
The Namwon Yang Munyanggong Branch Grand Clan Association completed the Nuljae Hall (Yang Clan Hall) in April 2002. The branch has lived in Daeryong village, Nopo-dong, Geumjeong-gu, Busan, for 16 generations (as of 2013). Its Jinseongdan altar there enshrines 232 ancestors, and rites are held on the first Sunday of October each year.
Yang Seong-ji's tomb and stele are in Daepo-ri, Yangchon-myeon, Gimpo. Yang Heon-su, who defended Jeongjoksanseong Fortress in 1866, was his 13th-generation descendant.
The Susagong branch is a sub-branch of the Munyanggong branch, founded by a great-grandson of Yang Seong-ji. It appears in the Bucheon local culture encyclopedia, and the founder's name could not be confirmed.
The branch lives in Goean-dong, Bucheon. Yang Ju-yeong (梁株永), of the 27th generation, settled there, and the family is said to have lived there for about 160 years.
Branch divisions vary by lineage and jokbo; confirm your own branch in your family's records.
양우량(branch founder enfeoffed as Lord of Namwon under King Gyeongdeok of Silla), 양능양(Byeongbu Nangjung under King Seongjong of Goryeo, founder of the Byeongbugong branch), 양주운(Prince Yongseong under King Wonjong of Goryeo, founder of the Yongseong-gun branch), 양수정(Prince Daebang under King Chungseon of Goryeo, founder of the Daebang-gun branch), 양우(10th generation of the Byeongbugong branch, pen name Mukjae), 양구주(Lord of Namwon, father of Yang Seong-ji), 양성지(early Joseon scholar, Chief Scholar of Hongmungwan, first proposed the Gyujanggak royal library), 양연(Minister of War and of Personnel under King Jungjong), 양대박(Imjin War righteous army leader, Battle of Unam), 양경우(son of Yang Dae-bak, gathered provisions for the Ming army), 양헌수(commander at Jeongjoksanseong during the 1866 French campaign), 양세봉(commander-in-chief of the Joseon Revolutionary Army, Order of Merit for National Foundation)
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남원 양씨 figures recognized as independence patriots (National Independence Hall / Gonghun public data). Tap a name for the citation.
The 남원 양씨 clan association can be found in the Korean E-Jokbo Library clan-association directory.
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