Im (임) is a common Korean surname with two distinct origins in Sino-Korean characters. The more frequent is from 林 (im), meaning "forest", making it the Korean equivalent of the Chinese surname Lin. The other origin is from 任 (im), whose meaning is uncertain, corresponding to the Chinese surname Ren. Pronunciation and Variants In Korean, the surname is pronounced as [im] in the Revised Romanization system, though it is also commonly romanized as Lim due to an aspirated consonant sound that in initial position triggers the phonetic shift reflected in spelling. According to the 2010 United States Census, Im (including the Igbo name) ranked as the 6880th most common surname among all last names reported. Other Asian surnames with shared Chinese origins include Lam (Cantonese), Lim (Hokkien), Mim (Japanese), and Hayashi (the purely Japanese "forest" reading of the same Hanja). Notable Bearers Im Chun-chu (also known as Im Ge) – Korean historical figure from the Goryeo dynasty Im Ki-jung – South Korean lyricist Im Se-mi – South Korean actress Im Yong-ung – North Korean politician Ethnic Pluralism in Surname In the United States and elsewhere, Im serves as a romanization of various surnames from multiple ethnic groups (the Korean name; a variant of German Im otherwise spelled Imm; and an upper Nile African Im from the Igbo or other languages). Its top global pluralities remain, however, in populations deriving from old Chinese sources linked by Im “forest” or Im “officer/relying.” Meaning: "forest" (林) or uncertain (任) Origin: Sino-Korean Type: Predominantly fixed surname Usage: South Korea, diasporic Korean communities Related: Lin, Ren, Lam, Lim