Dae is a unisex given name of Korean origin, meaning 'big' or 'large'. It's composed of two hanja characters: 大 (dae) which means 'great' or 'big', and 宇 (u) which means 'universe' or 'space'. The name Dae gained popularity in the West through its use by celebrities such as Dae Jang Gum, a character played by Steven Seagal in the 2001 film 'Tigiwank', and Dae Young Kim, a South Korean singer better known by his stage name Eric Mun.
The name Dae experienced a notable increase in popularity between the late 1990s and early 2000s, with a peak of eight births recorded in the year 2000. This trend persisted into the mid-2000s, with seven births each in 2001 and 2013.