50 Vietnamese Baby Names: Meanings & Origins

Vietnam is known for its beautiful beaches, delicious food, and its rich cultural history. You will see motorbikes, rice terraces, and floating markets in this paradisal country and if you're lucky, you'll taste the distinct flavor of Vietnamese coffee. Choosing a Vietnamese name for your baby is a good way to honor your family heritage.

Vietnamese Names

Vietnamese names are often gender-neutral and many of their meanings come from the natural world, like Chi, meaning "branch," or Tuyết, meaning "snow." Vietnamese, which is spoken by more than 1.5 million people in the U.S., follows a unique naming convention which puts the family name first followed by the middle and given names.

If you want to give your child a Vietnamese name in the English speaking world, you may want to reorder the names on their birth certificate.

Popular Vietnamese Baby Names For Girls

Here are some of the most popular and unique Vietnamese baby names for girls along with their meanings, origins, and other interesting information.

Bích

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Bluish-green
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Aoi, Bich
Famous Namesakes: Novelist Bich Minh Nguyen, 1988 Miss Vietnam Bui Bich Phuong
Peak Popularity: Bich is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Cam

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Orange (the fruit)
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Cameron, Camryn, Kam, Kamryn
Famous Namesakes: Football player Cam Akers, filmmaker and writer Cam Archer, ice hockey player Cam Janssen
Peak Popularity: Cam is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Chi

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Branch
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Chinwi, Chichi, Chioma
Famous Namesakes: Musician Chi Cheng; politician, doctor, and pastor Chi Hyun Chung, British politician Chi Onwurah
Peak Popularity: Chi is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Diệp

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Leaf
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Diem, Điệp
Famous Namesakes: Athlete Diệp Hoài Xuân
Peak Popularity: Diệp is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Diệu

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Mysterious, subtle, exquisite
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Diem, Dieu, Miao
Famous Namesakes: Television actress Dieu Nhi
Peak Popularity: Diệu is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Fun Fact: Dieu means "God" in French.

Hằng

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Lady
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Hang
Famous Namesakes: Singer and actress Minh Hằng, Instagram star
Hang Iseoul
Peak Popularity: Hằng is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000, but it is common in Vietnam, ranking at No. 50.

Fun Fact: The accent mark in the name Hằng denotes a high-rising pitch.

Hoa

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Flower
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Hana, Hòa, Hua
Famous Namesakes: World music singer Hoa Minzy
Peak Popularity: Hoa is a rare name in the US and has never been in the top 1,000.

Huệ

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Bright, intelligent or tuberose flower
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Hue, Hui
Famous Namesakes: Second emperor of the Tây Sơn dynasty of Vietnam Nguyễn Huệ
Peak Popularity: Huệ is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Fun Fact: Extracts from the tuberose flower, which is one of the meanings of the name Huệ, are often used as a note in perfumery.

Kim

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Gold, metal
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Kimberly, Kimball
Famous Namesakes: Vietnamese prime minister Trần Trọng Kim
Peak Popularity: Kim is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000, but it is the 17th most popular name in Vietnam.

Fun Fact: Kim is one of the most common Korean last names.

Liên

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Lotus, water lily
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Carolien, Lien
Famous Namesakes: Taiwanese politician Lien Chan, Taiwanese businessperson Lien Sheng-wu, actress Lien Van de Kelder
Peak Popularity: Liên is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Loan

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Mythological bird
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Elouan, Loann, Lohan Loane
Famous Namesakes: Soccer player Loanny Cartaya, politician Peter van Loan
Peak Popularity: Loan is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Mai

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Plum, apricot
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Mae, Maia, May, Maya, Mei, Ume
Famous Namesakes: Voice actress and singer Mai Nakahara, voice actress and singer Mai Kadowaki, singer Mai Oshima
Peak Popularity: Mai ranks at number 64 in Vietnam, but it is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Fun Fact: Made of rum, orange curaçao, fresh lime juice and orgeat, the Mai Tai is one of the most famous Tiki drinks in the world.

Mỹ

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Beautiful
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Maia, Maya, Mei, My
Famous Namesakes: Singer Mỹ Linh
Peak Popularity: Mỹ is the number 10 name in Vietnam, but it is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Fun Fact: Mỹ is pronounced like the English word "me."

Phượng

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Direction, way
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Fang
Famous Namesakes: Musician, songwriter, and singer Le Uyen Phuong, singer Phuong Hong Que, empress of Vietnam Marie-Thérèse Nguyễn Hữu Thị Lan
Peak Popularity: Phượng is the 22nd most popular name in Vietnam but it is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Fun Fact: When Empress Marie-Thérèse Nguyễn Hữu Thị Lan first visited Europe in 1939, she made such an impression on European women that they began to dress in Vietnamese-inspired fashions.

Thi

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Poetry, poem, verse
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Thị
Famous Namesakes: Female wrestler Nguyen Thi Lua
Peak Popularity: Thi is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Tiên

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Immortal, transcendent, celestial being, fairy
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Tiến, Tien
Famous Namesakes: Educator, politician, and Chinese diplomat Cheng Tien-fong, distinguished professor of mathematics Tien-Yien Li
Peak Popularity: Tiên ranks at No. 39 in Vietnam, but it is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Fun Fact: Hồ Động Tiên cave, which means "Fairy Lake Cave" in Vietnamese, is a cave that you can visit in Vietnam. The cave is in pristine condition and under governmental protection to prevent it from being exploited for tourism, and to maintain the cave’s magnificent natural beauty.

Trinh

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Virtuous, chaste, loyal
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Jeong, Jong, Jung, Zhen
Famous Namesakes: First Cardinal of the Catholic Church of Vietnam and Archbishop of Archdiocese of Hanoi Trịnh Như Khuê, first Vietnamese astronaut Eugene Huu Chau Trinh, scientist Trinh Xuan Thuan
Peak Popularity: Trinh ranks at No. 37 in Vietnam, but it is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Tuyết

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Snow
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Xue, Yuki
Famous Namesakes: Businesswoman Tuyet Le
Peak Popularity: Tuyết is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Yên

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Calm, peaceful
Alternative Spellings & Variations: An, Yasu
Famous Namesakes: Baseball player Yen Chun-Hao; basketball player, singer, actor, and model Yen Hsing-Shu, president of China Yen Chia Kan
Peak Popularity: Yên is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Popular Vietnamese Baby Names for Boys

Here are some popular and unique Vietnamese baby names for boys along with their meanings, origins, and other interesting information.

Bảo

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Treasure, jewel
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Bao, Takara
Famous Namesakes: Cultural icon of justice Bao Zheng, Han dynasty general Bao Xin, Qing dynasty general and official Bao Chao
Peak Popularity: Bảo is a top 100 name in Vietnam, but it is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Fun Fact: Bao Xishun is one of the tallest men on Earth. In December 2006, he assisted veterinarians in removing shards of plastic from the stomachs of two dolphins by using his 3-foot arms to reach into the dolphins' stomachs and remove the plastic manually.

Chí

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Will, spirit
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Zhi
Famous Namesakes: Musician Chi Cheng
Peak Popularity: Chí is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Fun Fact: In traditional Chinese culture, chi refers to the energy force of life itself.

Dương

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Male, virile
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Duong, Haru, Yang
Famous Namesakes: King of Vietnam Dương Tam Kha, footballer Dương Hồng Sơn, composer Dương Thụ
Peak Popularity: Dương is a top 100 name in Vietnam, but it is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Hải

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Sea, ocean
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Hai, Kai
Famous Namesakes: Basketball player Hai Rui, football player Yu Hai, music artist Ocean Hai
Peak Popularity: Hải is a top 20 name in Vietnam, but it is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Fun Fact: Rhyming names Hải and Kai both mean "ocean".

Hào

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Brave, heroic
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Hạo, Hao
Famous Namesakes: Taichi master Hao Weizhen, football player and coach Hao Haitao, writer Hao Qun
Peak Popularity: Hào is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Khánh

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Congratulate, celebrate
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Kei, Khanh
Famous Namesakes: Prime minister of South Vietnam Nguyễn Khánh, singer Khánh Ly, founder and first Great Khan of the Mongol Empire Genghis Khan
Peak Popularity: Khánh is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Liêm

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Clean, honest, upright
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Lian, Liem
Famous Namesakes: Badminton player Liem Swie King, economist and politician Liêm Hoang-Ngoc, badminton player Liem Tjeng Kiang
Peak Popularity: Liêm is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Minh

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Bright
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Ming, Myeong, Myung
Famous Namesakes: Communist revolutionary Ho Chi Minh, filmmaker Đặng Nhật Minh, saxophonist Quyền Văn Minh
Peak Popularity: Minh is a top 20 name in Vietnam, but it is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Fun Fact: Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the largest and most populous city in Vietnam.

Ngải

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Sagebrush, wormwood
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Ngai, Ni
Famous Namesakes: Actor Ngai Wai Man
Peak Popularity: Ngải is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Nguyên

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Original, first
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Nguyen, Nguyễn
Famous Namesakes: Poet Nguyễn Du, actor Dustin Nguyen, writer Viet Thanh Nguyen
Peak Popularity: Nguyên is the No. 1 most popular name for boys in Vietnam, but it is a rare name in the US and has never been in the top 1,000.

Fun Fact: Nguyễn is the most popular surname in Vietnam. While it is often simplified to remove the diacritics (accent marks) when used out of Vietnam, within Vietnamese Nguyễn and Nguyên are different names.

Quân

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Army
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Jun, Quan
Famous Namesakes: Football player Quan Lei, actress Quan Yi Fong
Peak Popularity: Quân is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Fun Fact: The diacritic accent mark over the letter 'a' in Quân is called a circumflex.

Quang

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Bright, clear
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Guan, Kwang, Hikaru
Famous Namesakes: Mahayana Buddhist monk Quảng Đức
Peak Popularity: Quang is a top 20 name in Vietnam, but it is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Quyền

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Power, right, authority
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Quyên
Famous Namesakes: Anti-colonial activist Nguyễn Quyền
Peak Popularity: Quyền is a top 100 name in Vietnam, but it is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Fun Fact: Quyền is sometimes pronounced like the English word "queen," another word that refers to power and authority.

Sơn

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Mountain
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Søn, Son, Yamato
Famous Namesakes: Footballer Nguyen Hong Son
Peak Popularity: Sơn is a top 100 name in Vietnam, but it is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Thuần

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Pure, clean, simple
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Jun, Thuận
Famous Namesakes: Astrophysicist Trinh Xuan Thuan
Peak Popularity: Thuần is a top 100 name in Vietnam, but it is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Trai

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Oyster
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Trae, Trey
Famous Namesakes: Actor Trai Byers, basketball player Trae Young
Peak Popularity: Trai is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Tuân

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Obey, follow, honor
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Duan, Tuấn, Tuan
Famous Namesakes: Professional poker player Tuan Lam, politician Tuan Yi-kang
Peak Popularity: Tuân is a top 10 name in Vietnam, but it is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Viên

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Round, full, complete
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Viện, Vienna
Famous Namesakes: Pianist and singer-songwriter Vienna Teng, politician Thomas Vien
Peak Popularity: Viên is a rare name in the US and has never been in the top 1,000.

Popular Gender-Neutral Vietnamese Baby Names

Here are some popular and unique Vietnamese gender-neutral baby names along with their meanings, origins, and other interesting information.

An

Origin: Chinese
Meaning: Peace, quiet
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Án, Ân, Yasu, Yên
Famous Namesakes: Computer engineer and inventor An Wang, professional poker player An Tran, shōjo manga artist An Nakahara
Peak Popularity: An is a top 10 name in Vietnam but it is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Anh

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Flower petal or brave hero
Alternative Spellings & Variations: An
Famous Namesakes: Actress and model Ahn Duong, foster daughter of former French President Jacques Chirac Anh Dao Traxel
Peak Popularity: Ahn is the third most popular name for girls in Vietnam, but it is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Fun Fact: The name Anh is often used as the first name in a compound name. Anh can mean either "flower petal" or "brave hero" depending upon the second element of the compound name.

Bình

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Level, even, peaceful
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Ping
Famous Namesakes: Viet Minh lieutenant general Nguyễn Bình
Peak Popularity: Bình is a top 50 name for both boys and girls in Vietnam, but is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Châu

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Pearl, gem
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Chao, Chau
Famous Namesakes: Footballer Nguyễn Minh Châu
Peak Popularity: Châu is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Giang

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: River
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Yang, Zhang
Famous Namesakes: Taekwondo practitioner Hoàng Hà Giang
Peak Popularity: Giang is a top 50 name for girls in Vietnam, but it is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Lan

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Orchid, elegant, mountain mist
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Lanh
Famous Namesakes: Tennis player Lan Bale, novelist Lan Cao
Peak Popularity: Lan ranks at number 21 for girls in Vietnam, but it is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Linh

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Spirit, soul
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Lin, Ling
Famous Namesakes: Television actor Lin Yi, badminton player Lin Dan, film director Việt Linh
Peak Popularity: Linh is the number one name for girls in Vietnam and it is a top 100 name for boys. However, it is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Quỳnh

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Deep red
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Qióng
Famous Namesakes: Actress Quynh Mi
Peak Popularity: Quỳnh is a top-five name for girls in Vietnam, but it is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Fun Fact: Quỳnh is the Vietnamese name for a flowering plant that falls under the genus Epiphyllum.

Thanh

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Blue, green, young, or sound, voice, tone
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Qing
Famous Namesakes: Vietnamese emperor Thành Thái
Peak Popularity: Thanh is a top 20 name for boys in Vietnam and a top 100 name for girls. However, it is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Fun Fact: Emperor Thành Thái would often slip out of the Forbidden City dressed as a commoner to talk with his people directly and see how they were being affected by government policies in Vietnam.

Trúc

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Bamboo
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Take, Truc, Zhú
Famous Namesakes: Writer Truc Hoang Le
Peak Popularity: Trúc is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Tú

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Luxuriant, beautiful, elegant, outstanding
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Tu
Famous Namesakes: Pharmaceutical chemist and malariologist who discovered a malaria treatment Tu Youyou
Peak Popularity: Tú is a top 100 name in Vietnam but it is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Vân

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Cloud
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Văn, Van, Yun
Famous Namesakes: Rock singer Van Morrison, actor Van Crosby, historian Van Wyck Brooks
Peak Popularity: Vân ranks at number 25 for girls in Vietnam. In the U.S., Van first appeared on the charts in 2005, rising steadily in popularity over the next five years before peaking in 2010 at position No. 755. Since then it has yo-yoed between positions in the late 700s and the early 900s.

Fun Fact: Changing the accent in a Vietnamese name will change both its pronunciation and its meaning. While Vân means "cloud," alternative spelling Văn means "literature, culture, writing."

Xuân

Origin: Vietnamese
Meaning: Spring
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Haru, Xuan
Famous Namesakes: Taoist Ge Xuan, political figure Xuân Thủy, gymnast Liu Xuan
Peak Popularity: Xuân is a rare name in the U.S. and has never been in the top 1,000.

Fun Fact: Xuan Bello Fernán is a poet from Tineo, Asturias, Spain. He is one of the best-known contemporary Asturian writers and along with poetry, he has written essays, narratives, children's literature, and translations.

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Statista. Languages spoken (at home) other than English in the United States by number of speakers in 2019.

By Elisa Cinelli
Elisa is a well-known parenting writer who is passionate about providing research-based content to help parents make the best decisions for their families. She has written for well-known sites including POPSUGAR and Scary Mommy, among others.

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