Stage names are an essential part of K-Pop performances or any performances for that matter. For as long back as one can remember, artists have used stage names to express their artistic persona better. Stage names also serve to help artists distinguish their real lives from their professional lives.
Often, artists have said that having stage names that are different from their real names help them separate their life on camera and off camera, on the stage or off the stage. This is important because, at times, one can bleed into another, making it harder for artists to be genuinely themselves or go back to the person they were, thereby making it difficult for friends and family to maintain connections with them.
While some stage names have special meanings to the artists personally, others are simply assigned by their superiors. Either way, a stage name is an artist's extension of self. While some stage names and the story behind them are quite popular such as BTS RM or IU and Hwasa, some are not so much.
Here's a list of artists whose stage names have special meanings that you couldn't have guessed at first.
1. EXO SUHO
Suho is one of the most competent leaders in the industry and that is just a fact. His real name is Kim Junmyeon, which is different from his stage name Suho. Suho actually means "Guardian" in Korean. Given his role as the leader of EXO, he truly is their guardian.
2. INIFINITE L
There are two things one is almost immediately reminded of when you hear the name 'L'. One is the immensely popular anime character "L" from Death Note and the other is K-Pop's very own Kim Myungsoo or as his stage name defines him, "L". During his trainee days, he would often be compared to L from the anime because of his habits and mannerisms. The name stuck and it couldn't have been more perfect.
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3. SEVENTEEN WOOZI
Woozi's real name is Lee Jihoon. At his company however, everyone lovingly called him "Uri Jihoonie" which is an endearing way to calling his name in Korean, meaning literally, "our Jihoon". The two words he was most called by was condensed and the resulting word sounded like "Woozi" so that's what he ultimately went by, making it his stage name.
4. ZICO
"Zico" also comes from the artist's real name Jiho. When he was studying abroad in Japan, people would call him Zico. He didn't mind the mispronunciation at all. As a matter of fact, it stuck with him and he turned it into his stage name. Needless to say, it's one of the coolest stage names in the industry.
5. BTS SUGA
Min Yoongi's stage name actually comes from his position as a shooting guard in basketball. Suga was an avid basketball player and really good at it too. As such, his position was shortened to take "SU" from shooting and "GA" from guard to form SUGA.
6. RED VELVET IRENE
Irene was given her stage name by the group's trainer. Irene means "Goddess of Peace". The name truly reflects her ethereal beauty as well as calm and composed demeanour. It's as if the name was meant for her.
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7. AILEE
Ailee was born in California and her birth name was Amy Lee. She came up with a stylised version of her name, taking the "A" from Amy and "Lee" from her surname, putting the "I" in the middle to make the pronunciation sound like "A. LEE".
8. HA:TFELT
Former Wonder Girls member Yeeun wanted to go for a different distinctive name for her solo career and had decided on "Heartfelt" as she felt that it was sincere and reflected her music style. However, her company told her that it was too feminine and that she should go with something neutral. As such, she looked at the British and American phonetics of the word and decided on the British one. So, she writes her stage name as "HA:TFELT"
