Vietnamese surnames carry a lot of history in just one syllable. Nguyen, Tran, and Le sit at the front of the line, but the roots run back to the Han conquest around 111 B.C., when Chinese naming customs first took hold and then slowly mixed with local traditions and the dynasties that followed.
This list gathers 148 Vietnamese last names along with what each one means, from the crowd favorites nearly everyone recognizes to the quieter, less common family names. You will find the meanings, the stories, and the cultural notes behind them all in one place.
Scroll on to trace where these names came from and what they say about the families who carry them.
148 Vietnamese Surnames and Their Meanings
Vietnamese family names carry centuries of history, from everyday words like corn and plum to Sino-Vietnamese roots that trace back to ancient China.
- Ai: A Sino-Vietnamese surname that first appeared in China, meaning “to love” or “affection.”
- Ang: An “A” surname dripping in Chinese influence, meaning “floor,” “deluge,” and “great.”
- Anh: The perfect Vietnamese surname for your angel, meaning “bright” and “intellectual.”
- Au: A name of Vietnamese and Chinese origin that translates to “peace.”
- Ba: A simple Vietnamese surname meaning “third” or “three.”
- Banh: This food-based Vietnamese name means “cake” and “bread.”
- Bao: A popular masculine Vietnamese name that means “treasure.”
- Bi: This versatile Vietnamese name translates to “marble,” “shredded pork skin,” or “green jade.”
- Bien: A Vietnamese surname that means “ocean” or “sea.”
- Bo: A name with Chinese influence that means “slim,” “thin,” and “weak.”
- Bui: A common Vietnamese surname derived from the Chinese Pei.
- Cam: Another food-based Vietnamese surname meaning “orange fruit.”
- Can: Popular in the Indonesian Chinese community, this name means “once already” and “in the past.”
- Cao: The perfect name for taller babies, meaning “high,” “tall,” and “above average.”
- Chan: A common surname across Vietnam and China, meaning “right.”
- Chau: Your child’s heritage is precious, making this name meaning “pearl” a beautiful choice.
- Che: This quirky Vietnamese last name literally means “no.”
- Chi: A unisex Vietnamese name meaning “tree branch” and “twig.”
- Chiem: Many Vietnamese family names derive from Chinese, like Chiem, meaning “excellent and verbose.”
- Chu: A classic Chinese and Vietnamese mash-up meaning “padding for a garment” and “pocket.”
- Co: A common name among the Chinese community that translates to “to praise.”
- Cong: Stemming from Sino-Vietnamese origins, this name means “fair,” “equitable,” and “public.”
- Dai: If your kid is destined for greatness, this short and sweet Vietnamese name means “great.”
- Dam: This name of Chinese and Vietnamese origin means “to talk and discuss.”
- Dan: A snappy Vietnamese name with a highly positive and uplifting meaning.
- Dang: A Sino-Vietnamese surname from the Chinese Deng, the name of a feudal state during the Zhou dynasty.
- Danh: Recognize your child’s star power with a Vietnamese name meaning “famous.”
- Dao: A Chinese name adopted in Vietnam meaning “pleased” and “pottery.”
- Dau: This interesting Vietnamese name translates to “rooster,” “bride,” or “mulberry.”
- Diep: A Chinese name with many meanings, including “harmony,” “leaf,” “period in history,” and “page.”
- Dieu: An ideal Vietnamese name for children with mysterious and subtle personalities.
- Dinh: A strong Vietnamese name with an interesting structure, meaning “encampment.”
- Dinn: Likely derived from Din, this peaceful name means “calm and settled.”
- Do: The tenth most common Vietnamese surname, held by about 1.4 percent of people. It descends from the Chinese Du, linked to the birchleaf pear tree.
- Doan: Meaning “to protect,” this regal name relates directly to royal guards and generals.
- Don: A classic Chinese and Vietnamese name meaning “already,” “in the past,” and “great.”
- Dong: The perfect moniker for an organized child, meaning “to supervise” or “manage.”
- Du: A simple, authoritative name meaning “to stop,” “prevent,” and “restrict.”
- Duong: Shared by about 1 percent of Vietnamese people, this surname comes from the Chinese Yang and is linked to the poplar tree.
- Duy: A common Chinese name that translates to “dimension.”
- Giang: A beautiful name rooted in Chinese culture that means “river.”
- Hai: A Sino-Vietnamese surname meaning “ocean” or “sea.”
- Ho: Derived from the classical Chinese Hu, meaning “wattle and dewlap.”
- Hoa: A wonderfully short Chinese name meaning “together and harmonious.”
- Hoang: A common surname meaning “yellow.” Northern and central families spell it Hoang, while southern families say Huynh.
- Hong: An evocative name of Chinese origin, meaning “water,” “flood,” and “rainbow.”
- Hua: A pretty Chinese girl’s name meaning “blossom” and “flower.”
- Hue: The direct Vietnamese translation for this lovely name is “lily.”
- Huu: A cool Sino-Vietnamese name meaning “friend” and “companion.”
- Huy: This masculine Vietnamese name carries the powerful meaning of “glorious.”
- Huynh: The southern reading of Hoang, meaning “yellow” or “golden” in Chinese and echoing the word for “older brother” in Vietnamese.
- Hy: We all need positivity, and Hy is the perfect Vietnamese name, meaning “hopeful.”
- Kha: A classic Vietnamese name meaning “fairy,” “rather,” and “enough.”
- Khanh: A joyful name of Chinese and Vietnamese origin, meaning “celebrate and congratulate.”
- Khong: This Chinese name has many meanings, including “empty,” “vacant,” “in vain,” and “leisure.”
- Khuu: Likely a habitational Vietnamese name meaning “mound,” “hillock,” and “grave.”
- Kien: A Chinese-inspired Vietnamese name that means “strong.”
- Kieu: This uncommon Vietnamese name translates to “unavailable” and “pretty.”
- Kim: A highly popular Vietnamese surname that translates to “gold” and “metal.”
- Ky: One of the shortest names on the list, meaning “sign” and “date.”
- Lac: A Chinese-influenced Vietnamese name meaning “camel” and “white horse with a black mane.”
- Lai: This Cantonese name translates to everything from “to depend” and “disclaim” to “rascal” and “blame.”
- Lam: A beautiful nature-inspired name meaning “forest.”
- Lang: A feminine Vietnamese name that translates to “sweet potato.”
- Lavan: This name means “white” in Hebrew and “literature” in Vietnamese.
- Le: The third most common Vietnamese surname, shared by around 9.5 percent of the population. It is the Sino-Vietnamese form of the Chinese Li and ties to the long-ruling Le dynasty.
- Liang: Famous for its ties to the Chinese Liang Dynasty, meaning “structure and roof beam.”
- Lien: The perfect nature-inspired name for your daughter, meaning “lotus flower.”
- Lieu: This French-sounding Vietnamese name beautifully translates to “willow tree.”
- Linh: A deeply spiritual Vietnamese name meaning “soul” and “spirit.”
- Lo: This Chinese surname is spelled ten different ways and means “to collect” and “gather.”
- Loi: A tiny Vietnamese name carrying the impressive and powerful meaning of “thunder.”
- Lu: This surname means “clumsy,” “from Lu state,” and “foolish” in Chinese and Vietnamese cultures.
- Luc: A Sino-Vietnamese surname adopted from the Chinese Lu.
- Luong: Similar to Liang, this Chinese and Vietnamese name means “structure and roof beam.”
- Luu: A battle-ready Chinese name that translates to “to kill” and “to slaughter.”
- Ly: Held by around 0.5 percent of the population, Ly comes from the Chinese Li, means “plum,” and gave its name to the Ly dynasty.
- Ma: Sourced from Chinese, Mandarin, and Cantonese origins, meaning “horse.”
- Mac: A philosophical Chinese and Vietnamese name meaning “nothing” and “non-existent.”
- Mach: Popular in the Vietnamese Chinese community, meaning “wheat,” “barley,” and “oats.”
- Mai: Similar to Mach, this lovely name also means “cherry blossom” and “yellow.”
- Manh: Another popular Chinese surname meaning “ten thousand” and “a great number.”
- Minh: A highly common name among Asian communities, meaning “bright.”
- Nam: A foundational component of the word Vietnam, meaning “south.”
- Ng: This incredibly common Chinese surname means “yellow” and “to fall through.”
- Nghiem: A Chinese-inspired Vietnamese name that means “strict,” “tight,” “severe,” and “father.”
- Ngo: Borne by roughly 1.3 percent of Vietnamese people and carried by early kings like Ngo Quyen. From the Chinese Wu, it also matches the Vietnamese word for “corn.”
- Ngoc: This beautiful and highly coveted female name means “jade” in Vietnamese.
- Ngu: A Chinese name meaning “five,” “to associate with,” and “fish.”
- Nguy: A mixture of Taiwanese and Vietnamese linguistics meaning “to endanger” and “danger.”
- Nguyen: The most common Vietnamese surname, borne by roughly 38 percent of the population. It transcribes the Chinese character for Ruan, an ancient lute, and spread widely under the Nguyen dynasty (1802 to 1945).
- Nhan: This Chinese surname is highly common in Vietnam and means “person” or “face figure.”
- Nhu: This Vietnamese name possibly translates to “alike,” “to eat,” and “to endure.”
- Nong: In a 2013 study, Nong was the 189th most popular surname in China, meaning “farmer.”
- Nzuyen: A rare spelling variant of Nguyen that shares its origin and meaning.
- O: Possibly of Korean and Japanese origin, meaning “king” and “written.”
- On: A classic and soothing Vietnamese and Chinese name meaning “peace.”
- Ong: A powerful Asian surname meaning “king,” “monarch,” and “to reign over.”
- Peng: A bold name possibly meaning “drum beats,” “big,” and “a giant bird” in Chinese and Vietnamese.
- Pham: The fourth most common Vietnamese surname, held by about 7 percent of people. From the Cantonese Fan, it means “model,” “pattern,” and “example.”
- Phan: A widespread Vietnamese surname derived from the Chinese Pan, borne by an estimated 4.5 percent of the population.
- Phang: A cool, action-oriented Chinese name that means “to gallop,” “to assist,” and “to attack.”
- Phong: This beautiful nature-inspired Vietnamese name translates to “wind.”
- Phoung: A cute name with dual meanings of “phoenix” and “direction.”
- Phu: A great name to manifest success, meaning “rich,” “abundant,” and “wealthy.”
- Phung: Similar to Phang, meaning “to gallop,” “to assist,” and “to attack.”
- Quach: An architectural name of Chinese and Vietnamese origin that translates to “outer city walls.”
- Quang: The perfect Vietnamese name for an innocent child, meaning “pure and clear.”
- Quoc: A rarely used yet highly patriotic Vietnamese name meaning “country,” “state,” and “nation.”
- Son: A Vietnamese surname meaning “mountain,” a symbol of strength and stability.
- Su: A simple, humble Chinese name meaning “plain,” “simple,” and “respectful.”
- Ta: This tiny two-letter Vietnamese surname means “to thank,” “wither,” “apologize,” and “decline.”
- Tan: A widely popular Asian surname meaning “magnificent” and “new.”
- Thach: This Chinese name has multiple meanings, including “dry measure for grain” and “rock or stone.”
- Thai: A Sino-Vietnamese surname meaning “great” or “grand,” historically tied to high rank.
- Tham: The ideal Vietnamese name for highly gracious and polite children.
- Than: A Vietnamese surname meaning “bright blue” and “brilliant.”
- Thang: This strong name of Vietnamese origin carries the meaning of “victory.”
- Thanh: A name highly similar to Than, sharing the exact same meaning and origin.
- Thi: The perfect choice for highly creative Vietnamese children, meaning “poetry and verse.”
- Thong: An unusual yet highly complimentary Vietnamese boy’s name meaning “smart.”
- Thu: This charming nature-inspired Vietnamese name translates to “autumn.”
- Thuy: The ideal name for a water sign baby, as it means “water” in Vietnamese.
- Tien: An ethereal Vietnamese name meaning “fairy,” “goddess,” and “celestial being.”
- Ton: A deeply familial Chinese name that describes a “grandson” or “descendant.”
- Tong: A sweet-smelling Vietnamese boy’s name meaning “fragrant.”
- Trach: In traditional Vietnam, a “trach” represents a “small earthen pot” or “cooking pot.”
- Tram: The direct Vietnamese translation of Tram is “incense,” “deep,” and “low.”
- Tran: The second most common Vietnamese surname, carried by about 11 percent of people. It is the Sino-Vietnamese form of the Chinese Chen and recalls the Tran dynasty that turned back the Mongol invasions.
- Trang: The ideal Vietnamese choice for highly intelligent and serious children.
- Tri: Rooted in Chinese and Vietnamese history, meaning “wisdom and intellect.”
- Trieu: A unique Vietnamese name representing abundance, meaning “millions.”
- Trinh: This beautiful female Vietnamese name means “pure and virginal.”
- Tron: An unusual Vietnamese name translating to “round” and “circle.”
- Troung: A name of Chinese and Vietnamese origin, meaning “to open up,” “flatten,” and “spread.”
- Trung: A practical unisex Vietnamese name meaning “medium.”
- Tu: According to classic Vietnamese language structures, Tu means “bright and sharp.”
- Tuan: A well-mannered and polite Vietnamese name meaning “gentlemanly” and “chivalrous lord.”
- Van: In Vietnamese, Van translates beautifully to “cloud,” “knowledge,” and “culture.”
- Vang: This Vietnamese surname is rooted in Old Chinese and means “gold” and “yellow.”
- Vi: With more meanings than actual letters, this Vietnamese name means “tail,” “flavor,” “taste,” and “innocent.”
- Vien: Primarily a male Vietnamese name meaning “complete” and “full.”
- Vinh: A deeply respected name of Chinese and Vietnamese origin, meaning “glory.”
- Vo: A Vietnamese surname meaning “martial” or “military,” spelled Vu in the north and Vo in the south.
- Voong: Another bold Chinese-inspired name meaning “to gallop,” “to attack,” and “to assist.”
- Vu: The northern spelling of the surname written Vo in the south, one of Vietnam’s more common family names, from the Chinese Wu.
- Vuong: This prominent Vietnamese name has deep royal connections and means “to rule,” “king,” and “monarch.”
- Yen: A gender-neutral Vietnamese name meaning “peace,” “safe,” and “stand still.”
Vietnamese Last Names FAQs
Which Vietnamese Last Names Are Chinese?
Most Vietnamese surnames trace back to Chinese family names, adopted during nearly a thousand years of Chinese rule that began around 111 B.C. Widespread examples with Chinese roots include Nguyen, Tran, Le, Pham, Hoang, Phan, and Dang. Because of that shared history, the line between a Chinese and a Vietnamese surname is often blurred.
Which Vietnamese Last Names Are the Most Common?
The most common Vietnamese last names are Nguyen, Tran, and Le. Nguyen alone belongs to roughly 38 percent of the population, followed by Tran at about 11 percent and Le at around 9.5 percent. Pham, Hoang, Phan, and Vu round out the surnames you see most often.
How Do Vietnamese Names Work?
Vietnamese names typically follow a specific order. The family name comes first, followed by the middle name, and finally the given name.
Why Do so Many Vietnamese People Have the Last Name Nguyen?
The surname Nguyen became extremely prominent during the Nguyen Dynasty. Many citizens changed their family names to Nguyen to show loyalty, avoid political persecution, or align themselves with the ruling class.
Do Vietnamese Wives Take Their Husband’s Last Name?
No, women in Vietnam traditionally keep their maiden name after marriage. However, children almost always take their father’s family name.
What Is the Rarest Vietnamese Last Name?
While Nguyen is the most common, surnames like Quach, Ton, and Khuu are relatively rare. These names often belong to specific ethnic minorities or families with distinct Chinese heritage.
Can a Vietnamese Middle Name Be Used as a Last Name?
Middle names like Thi for women and Van for men are strictly used as middle identifiers. They do not function as family names in traditional Vietnamese culture.
How Many Vietnamese Surnames Exist?
There are roughly 200 to 300 Vietnamese family names in existence. Despite this variety, the top 14 surnames account for over 90 percent of the entire population.
