Unlike most Korean names, which are composed of two
Sino-Korean roots each written with one
hanja, "Duri" is an indigenous Korean name. It is a
Gyeongsang dialect word for "two", as well as a homophone of a differently-spelled standard Korean word () meaning "two people" or "a couple". The name was attested as early as the 19th century, and is one of a number of indigenous names which became more popular in
South Korea in the late 20th century. The name Duri could also be recorded in hanja which are picked solely for their sound and not for their meaning (for example, 斗里 or 乧伊). ==People==