K-pop Fandom Names: The Complete List and What They Mean
ARMY, BLINK, MOA, STAY, CARAT, ENGENE and 40 more K-pop fandom names in one list, by group and generation, with what each name means.
Every K-pop group has an official name for its fans, and knowing them is part of the basic literacy of the fandom. When someone says they are a Carat, a MOA or an ATINY, they are telling you their group in one word. This list of K-pop fandom names covers the major groups by generation, with what each name means where the meaning is known. Fandom names are chosen and announced by the group's agency, so newer groups are added as they get theirs.
How fandom names work
A fandom name is announced by the agency, usually within the first year after debut, often after a fan vote. It comes with an official fan colour, and later a lightstick, and it appears everywhere: on fan cafés, in fanchants, and in the way idols address the crowd at concerts. Most names are wordplay on the group's name or an acronym with a meaning that ties fans to the group. Being in a fandom does not exclude others; most fans are multi-stans and hold several of these at once.
4th and 5th generation
| Group | Fandom name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Stray Kids | STAY | Fans who stay with the group |
| TXT (Tomorrow X Together) | MOA | Moments of Alwaysness; also "gather" in Korean |
| ATEEZ | ATINY | ATEEZ + destiny |
| ITZY | MIDZY | From the Korean for "trust" |
| ENHYPEN | ENGENE | Fans as the engine and the "gene" the group shares |
| aespa | MY | The fans belong to each other; "MY" in the group's lore |
| IVE | DIVE | Diving into IVE |
| NewJeans | Bunnies | From the group's rabbit branding |
| LE SSERAFIM | FEARNOT | Fearless, like the debut title |
| (G)I-DLE | NEVERLAND | A place fans and the group share |
| TREASURE | TEUME | Treasure Maker |
| NMIXX | NSWER | The answer to NMIXX |
| STAYC | SWITH | Stay with STAYC |
| Kep1er | Kep1ian | Fans of Kep1er |
| ZEROBASEONE | ZEROSE | ZEROBASEONE + rose |
| RIIZE | BRIIZE | Breeze; the wind RIIZE rides |
| BOYNEXTDOOR | ONEDOOR | One door between the group and fans |
| BABYMONSTER | MONSTIEZ | Monster + besties |
| ILLIT | GLLIT | Fans who make ILLIT glitter |
| KISS OF LIFE | KISSY | Fans of KISS OF LIFE |
| &TEAM | LUNÉ | The moon to &TEAM's wolves |
| xikers | roady | Fans who travel the road with xikers |
| P1Harmony | P1ece | Each fan a piece of the whole |
| tripleS | WAV | Fans as the wave |
| KATSEYE | EYEKONS | Eye + icons |
| PLAVE | PLLI | Fans of the virtual group PLAVE |
3rd generation
| Group | Fandom name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| BTS | ARMY | Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth; the army to the group's bulletproof name |
| BLACKPINK | BLINK | Black + pink |
| TWICE | ONCE | Love TWICE once, they love you twice |
| SEVENTEEN | CARAT | Fans make the group shine like a diamond |
| EXO | EXO-L | EXO-Love; the letter between K and M for the sub-units |
| Red Velvet | ReVeluv | Red Velvet + love |
| NCT | NCTzen | Citizens of NCT |
| GOT7 | IGOT7 (Ahgase) | "I got 7"; Ahgase means baby bird in Korean |
| MONSTA X | MONBEBE | Mon bébé, "my baby" in French |
| MAMAMOO | MooMoo | From the group's name |
| Dreamcatcher | InSomnia | Fans awake in Dreamcatcher's nightmares |
| Oh My Girl | Miracle | The group's fans as their miracle |
| The Boyz | THE B | From the group's name |
| LOONA | Orbit | Fans orbiting the group's lunar lore |
| WJSN (Cosmic Girls) | Ujung | "Friendship" in Korean |
| Apink | Pink Panda | Pink + fan + da ("everyone") |
| fromis_9 | flover | Flower + lover |
| EVERGLOW | Forever | Fans who stay forever |
| ONEUS | TO MOON | ONEUS and fans travel to the moon |
| Golden Child | Goldenness | From the group's name |
| CRAVITY | LUVITY | Love + gravity |
1st and 2nd generation
| Group | Fandom name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Girls' Generation | SONE | From the Korean name, So Nyeo Shi Dae; also "wish" |
| SHINee | Shawol | SHINee World |
| Super Junior | ELF | Ever Lasting Friends |
| BIGBANG | VIP | Very Important Person, like the debut single |
| 2NE1 | Blackjack | 21 in the card game |
| TVXQ | Cassiopeia | The five-star constellation, for five original members |
| 2PM | Hottest | The hottest time of day, 2PM |
| INFINITE | Inspirit | Fans who put the spirit into the group |
| VIXX | Starlight | Fans light the group's way |
Why the name matters to fans
A fandom name is a badge. It is what idols call the crowd at a concert, what fans put in their bios, and what a stranger in a queue asks before anything else. It also comes with a fan colour and, for most groups, a lightstick with its own nickname, which is why a K-pop concert looks like a single colour from the stage.
It is also how fans find each other. A bio that says "ARMY, STAY, ATINY" tells another fan everything they need to start a conversation. On K-pop Dating, that is exactly what the front of your photocard does: favorite group, bias, and what you are looking for, so fans near you can spot a shared fandom at a glance.
A note on accuracy
Fandom names are official announcements by agencies, and meanings are sometimes given officially and sometimes explained by fans. Where the agency gave a meaning, it is above; where fans supplied it, it is the commonly accepted one. New groups get names months after debut, so this list of K-pop fandom names is updated as they are announced. For the rest of the vocabulary, see our glossary of K-pop terms.