These Are The Explanations Behind 25+ K-Pop Group Names You Might Not Have Known

Some K-Pop groups’ names make perfect sense without an explanation, but others… Not so much. Companies can get really creative and sometimes a little out there with their naming process, and there are a lot of K-Pop group name meanings you’d probably never guess without being told what they stand for. Here are 25+ different K-Pop groups with unique, creative, and sometimes just downright strange meanings!

1. (G)I-DLE

The “G” stands for “girl”, the “I” represents each member as an individual, and the “DLE” stands for the Korean word “deul”, which makes noun words plural and thus makes (G)I-DLE stand for “a group of six individuals”

2. f(x)

The “f” stands for “flower” and the “x” stands for the female x chromosome, so combined they mean “flower girls”

3. 2NE1

Besides sounding like “21” or “To Anyone”, the meaning behind their name is “(N)ew (E)volution of the (21)st Century”

4. iKON

The group wants to be “iconic” while spreading Korean culture worldwide, hence the “K” instead of a “C”

5. Cosmic Girls/WJSN

The four letters in WJSN stand for the four subgroups in Cosmic Girls, and stand for “Wonder, Joy, Sweet, and Natural”

6. A.C.E

Stands for “Adventure Calling Emotions”

7. ITZY

The name “ITZY” references the Korean word “있지”, which means “there is”, as in, “there is everything fans hoped to see in a group like ITZY”

8. MAMAMOO

It’s supposed to represent the sound that babies make! Since “MAMA” means “mother”, and they want to “approach their listeners organically and instinctively with their music”

9. NCT

NCT stands for “Neo Culture Technology”; in NCT 127, the 127 stands for the longitudinal coordinate of Seoul; in NCT U, the U stands for “United”; and for NCT Dream, the “Dream” is to show their desire for teenagers to have dreams and hope through their music

10. AOA

Simply stands for “Ace of Angels”

11. PENTAGON

A pentagon has five sides, and the members of PENTAGON encompass five areas: Vocal/Rap, Dance, Mind, Talent, and Teamwork

12. ATEEZ

It has two possible meanings: “A TEEnager Z”, or “A to Z”, which means that they want to do everything they can with enthusiasm

13. EXO

Stands for “EXO Planet”, a planet that is outside of our solar system

14. MONSTA X

The group “aims to be monsters who can conquer the K-Pop scene”, although it can also stand for “My Star”, because “Mon” is French for “My” and thus “My (STA)r”

15. BIGBANG

Like the actual big bang, this name was meant to show that they would make a huge impact in the music industry

16. Red Velvet

Their name represents their different concepts, with the “Red” standing for strength and elegance, and the “Velvet” standing for smoothness and femininity

17. IZ*ONE

It stands for “IZ (12) members who have become (ONE)”

18. VIXX

This stands for “Voice, Visual, Value In Excelsis”

19. SEVENTEEN

They were originally going to have seventeen members, but since they ended up with thirteen, the name now stands for “13 members + 3 units + 1 team = 17”

20. BLACKPINK

The two colors represent two different things: “pink” for prettiness, and “black” for sophistication and skill

21. SHINee

SHINee stands for “shine”, which of course means light, and the “ee” is the suffix as someone who receives, so together it means “one who receives the light”

22. fromis_9

Stands for (From) (I)dol (S)chool, with the 9 representing their 9 members

23. KARD

KARD is supposed to represent playing cards, as follows: BM as the (K)ing, J.Seph as the (A)ce, Jiwoo as the red Joke(R), Somin as the black Joke(R), and fans as the Hi(D)den KARD