Names by country
Vietnamese names for characters
Popular Vietnamese first names by birth decade, common and regional surnames, pronunciation, and the naming rules writers trip over.
How Vietnamese names work
About four in ten Vietnamese share the surname Nguyễn. Văn (men) and Thị (women) were near-universal middle names for those born before about 1980. Keep the diacritics if you can: they change the word.
Name order. Written family name, middle, given (Nguyễn Văn Hùng), and people are addressed by the given name: Mr Hùng, not Mr Nguyễn. Abroad, paperwork often reorders it to Hùng Văn Nguyễn.
Middle names. The middle element (Văn, Thị, Ngọc) is part of the full name, not an optional extra.
First names by birth decade
Names drift in and out of fashion. Pick from the decade your character was born, not the year your story is set.
Born before 1950
Girls
- Lan LAHN
- Hoa HWAH
- Hương HUHNG
- Mai MY
- Hằng HAHNG
- Thủy TWEE
- Hạnh HAHNG
- Nga NGAH
Boys
- Hùng HOONG
- Dũng ZOONG
- Minh MING
- Hải HIGH
- Sơn SUHN
- Thắng TAHNG
- Long LONG
- Quang KWAHNG
Born 1950–64
Girls
- Lan
- Hoa
- Hương
- Mai
- Hằng
- Thủy
- Hạnh
- Nga
Boys
- Hùng
- Dũng
- Minh
- Hải
- Sơn
- Thắng
- Long
- Quang
Born 1965–79
Girls
- Hương
- Hằng
- Thủy
- Trang CHAHNG
- Ngọc NGOWK
- Phương FUHNG
- Thảo TOW
- Hà HAH
Boys
- Tuấn
- Hùng
- Dũng
- Minh
- Cường KUHNG
- Hải
- Thắng
- Hiếu HYEW
Born 1980–94
Girls
- Linh
- Trang
- Hương
- Thảo
- Ngọc
- Anh ANG
- Hà
- Nhung NYOONG
Boys
- Tuấn
- Hoàng HWAHNG
- Long
- Nam
- Huy HWEE
- Đức DUK
- Quân KWUN
- Hiếu
Born 1995–2009
Girls
- Linh
- Ngân NGUN
- Vy
- Nhi NYEE
- Anh
- Thảo
- My MEE
- Châu CHOW
Boys
- Huy
- Khang KAHNG
- Bảo BOW
- Phúc
- Khôi KOY
- Nam
- Đạt DAHT
- Duy
Born 2010 onward
Girls
- An
- Ngân
- Vy
- Chi CHEE
- Anh
- Nhi
- My
- Khuê KWAY
Boys
- Minh
- Khôi
- An
- Bảo
- Phúc
- Khang
- Nhật NYUT
- Quân
Common Vietnamese surnames
- Nguyễn nwin
- Trần CHUN
- Lê LAY
- Phạm FAHM
- Hoàng HWAHNG
- Huỳnh HWIN
- Phan FAHN
- Vũ VOO
- Võ VAW
- Đặng DAHNG
- Bùi BOO-ee
- Đỗ DOH
- Hồ HOH
- Ngô NGOH
- Dương ZUHNG
- Lý LEE
Regional names
Where a character comes from inside Vietnam changes their surname, and sometimes their first name.
North (Hanoi, Red River Delta)
Pronunciation guides here follow the Hanoi accent, where d and gi sound like z.
Surnames: Nguyễn, Trần, Lê, Phạm, Hoàng, Vũ, Đặng, Bùi, Đỗ, Ngô
South (Saigon, Mekong Delta)
In the south, Hoàng became Huỳnh and Vũ became Võ to avoid a 19th-century royal name taboo. Southern speech turns d and gi into a y sound (Dương is YUHNG), and Nguyễn is said closer to WIN.
Surnames: Nguyễn, Trần, Lê, Phạm, Huỳnh, Võ, Phan, Trương, Lâm, Đặng
Questions
What are common Vietnamese surnames?
Some of the most common Vietnamese surnames are Nguyễn, Trần, Lê, Phạm, Hoàng, Huỳnh. Regional surnames differ, so check the regional lists before choosing one for a character from a particular area.
How do Vietnamese names work?
About four in ten Vietnamese share the surname Nguyễn. Văn (men) and Thị (women) were near-universal middle names for those born before about 1980. Keep the diacritics if you can: they change the word. Written family name, middle, given (Nguyễn Văn Hùng), and people are addressed by the given name: Mr Hùng, not Mr Nguyễn. Abroad, paperwork often reorders it to Hùng Văn Nguyễn. The middle element (Văn, Thị, Ngọc) is part of the full name, not an optional extra.
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