In a country where sharing a surname with dozens of your neighbors isn’t unheard of, you have to get creative with first and middle names. For this reason, the Vietnamese have hundreds of beautiful first names that are rich and varied in meaning, and we’re here to talk all about them.
First there’s Dep, which is a girl’s name meaning beautiful (although we suppose this meaning could coincidentally apply to the American actor as well!). It’s a perfect name to describe a pretty little baby girl, who is surely the apple of her parents’ eye.
Next is Mai, another girl’s name meaning ‘blossom’ or ‘yellow flower.’ Surprisingly, Mai is relatively popular in the U.S., having first broken past the top 1,000 mark in the early 1980’s and seeing a resurgence in 2012.
A popular unisex choice is Minh, which comes from the Chinese word ming, a word that means ‘clever’ and ‘bright.’ It’s an extremely common name in Vietnam, and usually is more popular as a boy’s name in spite of its unisex status. Stateside, though, it’s a long way away from breaking into the top 1,000 baby names, so consider it if you’re looking for something original for your bun in the oven.
Check out some more of our favorite Vietnamese baby names below.
Ai
Meaning: A sentimental love
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Girl
Am
Meaning:
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Girl
An
Meaning: Peace, safety
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Girl
An
Meaning: Peace, safety
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Boy
An Dung
Meaning: Peaceful hero
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Boy
Anh
Meaning: Peace, safety
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Girl
Ba
Meaning: Three, third
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Boy
Bao
Meaning: Protection
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Boy
Bay
Meaning: Born in July, seventh-born son
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Boy
Be
Meaning: Doll
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Girl
Bian
Meaning: Secretive, hidden
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Girl
Bianh
Meaning: Piece, average
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Boy
Bich
Meaning: Jade, jewelry
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Girl
Binh
Meaning: Peaceful
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Boy
Buu
Meaning: Principle, guide
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Boy
C“ng
Meaning: Skillful, industrious
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Boy
Ca
Meaning: The eldest, the first
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Girl
Ca
Meaning: The eldest, the first
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Boy
Cadeo
Meaning: Folk song
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Boy
Cai
Meaning: Rejoice or happy
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Girl
Cam
Meaning: Sweet citrus
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Girl
Chau
Meaning: Pearls
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Girl
Chi
Meaning: Tree branch
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Girl
Chien
Meaning: Fighter, warrior
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Boy
Chinh
Meaning: Righteousness
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Boy
Cuc
Meaning: Chrysanthemum
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Girl
Cuong
Meaning: Flourishing, healthy
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Boy
Dai
Meaning: Great
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Boy
Danh
Meaning: Famous, prestigious
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Boy
Dep
Meaning: Beautiful
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Girl
Dinh
Meaning: Summit
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Boy
Dong
Meaning: The east
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Boy
Duc
Meaning: Moral, good
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Boy
Dung
Meaning: Brave, heroic
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Boy
Duong
Meaning: Virile
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Boy
Duy
Meaning: Moral, only one
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Boy
Gia
Meaning: Family
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Boy
H•ng
Meaning: Pink rose
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Girl
Ha
Meaning: River
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Girl
Hai
Meaning: Two, second
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Girl
Hang
Meaning: Angel in the full moon
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Girl
Hanh
Meaning: Beautiful and moral
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Girl
Hao
Meaning: Good, perfect
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Girl
Hien
Meaning: Gentle, quiet
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Girl
Hieu
Meaning: Respectful
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Boy
Hoa
Meaning: Flower, peace
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Girl
Hoc
Meaning: Studious
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Girl
Huu
Meaning: A middle name
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Boy
Huy
Meaning: Glorious
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Boy
Kim
Meaning: Golden
Origin: Vietnamese
Gender: Girl
