Vietnamese Last Names

This list of Vietnamese last names covers Nguyễn, Trần, Lê and every other major family name, with full Vietnamese spelling and meanings, plus how names are ordered and why so few surnames cover so many people.

176 real surnames with meanings, A to Z.

A

Âu 歐

Ancient clan name; related to the compound Âu Dương
Âu Dương 歐陽

South of Mount Ouyu; compound surname
Ayŭn

Êđê matrilineal clan name

B

Bạch 白

White, pure, clear
Bế

Clan name of the Tày people
Biện 卞

Hasty, impetuous
Bùi 裴

Long flowing robe
Byă

Êđê matrilineal clan name

C

Cam 甘

Sweet, pleasant
Cầm

Tai noble clan; possibly from kham, gold
Cấn

Rare northern Vietnamese surname
Cao 高

Tall, high
Cát 葛

Kudzu vine
Châu 周

Circle, complete; Zhou dynasty
Chế 制

System, rule; Cham royal title
Chiêm 詹

To look up; to talk much
Chu 朱

Vermilion red
Chử 褚

Padded garment
Chung 鍾

Bell; wine cup
Cổ 古

Ancient, old

D

Đàm 譚

To talk, converse
Đặng 鄧

Name of an ancient state
Đàng

Surname common among the Cham
Danh

Surname common among Khmer Krom in the Mekong Delta
Đào 陶

Pottery; joyful
Đậu 竇

Hole, cave
Diêm 閻

Village gate
Điền 田

Rice field
Diệp 葉

Leaf of a plant
Đinh 丁

Adult man; fourth heavenly stem
Đỗ 杜

Birchleaf pear tree; to shut out
Đoàn 段

Section, segment
Doãn 尹

Governor, official
Đới 戴

To wear on the head; to honor
Đồng

Copper, or together, depending on the character
Đổng 董

To supervise, direct
Dư 余

I, myself; surplus
Dương 楊

Poplar tree
Đường 唐

Tang dynasty; grand

E

Êban

Êđê matrilineal clan name

G

Giản 簡

Simple; bamboo writing slip
Giang 江

River, especially the Yangtze
Giàng

Hmong clan name, equivalent to Yang
Giáp 甲

Armor; first heavenly stem

H

Hà 何

What; to carry
Hạ 夏

Summer; Xia dynasty
Hàn 韓

Ancient state of Han
Hạng

Hmong clan name, equivalent to Hang
Hầu 侯

Marquis, noble lord
Hình 邢

Ancient state of Xing
Hồ 胡

Dewlap; beard; northern peoples
Hoa 花

Flower, blossom
Hoàng 黃

Yellow; the imperial color
Hồng 洪

Flood; vast
Hứa 許

To promise, to permit
Hùng 熊

Bear; name shared with the Hùng kings
Huỳnh 黃

Yellow; southern form of Hoàng

K

Kha 柯

Axe handle
Khang 康

Healthy, peaceful
Khâu 丘

Hill, mound
Khiếu

Rare northern Vietnamese surname
Khổng 孔

Hole, opening; clan of Confucius
Khuất 屈

To bend; to submit
Khúc 曲

Bend; song; name of the Khúc clan rulers
Khương 姜

Ginger root; ancient clan
Kiều 喬

Tall, lofty
Kim 金

Gold, metal
Kpă

Jarai clan name of the Central Highlands
Ksor

Jarai clan name of the Central Highlands

L

La 羅

Bird net; to spread out
Lã 呂

Spine; musical pitch
Lại 賴

To rely on
Lâm 林

Forest, grove of trees
Lam 藍

Indigo blue
Lăng 凌

Ice; to rise above
Lãnh 冷

Cold, cool
Lê 黎

Black; the multitude
Liên 連

To connect, link
Liễu 柳

Willow tree
Lò

Clan name of the Tai (Thái) people of the northwest
Lỗ 魯

Ancient state of Lu; plain, simple
Lộc 祿

Prosperity; official salary
Long 龍

Dragon, symbol of power
Lữ 呂

Spine; musical pitch; variant of Lã
Lục 陸

Land, dry ground
Lương 梁

Roof beam; bridge
Lường

Clan name of the Tai (Thái) people
Lưu 劉

Battle-axe; to kill
Luyện 練

To refine, to train
Lý 李

Plum tree

M

Mã 馬

Horse; also agate
Ma

Clan name of the Tày people
Mạc 莫

Do not; name of the Mạc dynasty
Mạch 麥

Wheat, barley
Mai 梅

Apricot blossom
Mẫn 閔

To pity, to grieve
Mạnh 孟

Eldest; first month of a season
Mlô

Êđê matrilineal clan name
Mông 蒙

To cover; Mongol
Mùa

Hmong clan name, equivalent to Moua

N

Nay

Jarai clan name of the Central Highlands
Nghê 倪

Beginning; small child
Nghiêm 嚴

Strict, stern
Ngô 吳

Ancient state of Wu
Ngụy 魏

Lofty; ancient state of Wei
Nguyễn 阮

A plucked lute; name of an ancient state
Nguyễn Phúc 阮福

Blessed Nguyễn; the royal clan of the Nguyễn dynasty
Nhan 顏

Face, countenance
Nhữ 汝

You; name of the Ru river
Niê

Êđê matrilineal clan name
Ninh 寧

Peace, tranquility
Nông 農

Farmer, agriculture; common among Tày and Nùng

O

Ôn 溫

Warm, gentle
Ông 翁

Old man, venerable elder

P

Phạm 范

Name of the ancient fief of Fan
Phan 潘

Water used to wash rice
Phí 費

Expense, cost
Phó 傅

Tutor, teacher
Phù 符

Tally, talisman
Phùng 馮

To gallop
Phương 方

Square; direction, region

Q

Quách 郭

Outer city wall
Quan 關

Mountain pass, gate
Quản 管

Pipe, tube; to manage
Quàng

Clan name of the Tai (Thái) people

R

Rơ Mah

Jarai clan name of the Central Highlands

S

Sầm 岑

Small high mountain
Siu

Jarai clan name of the Central Highlands
Sơn

Mountain; common among Khmer Krom
Sử 史

History; historian
Sùng

Hmong clan name

T

Tạ 謝

To thank
Tần 秦

Ancient state of Qin
Tăng 曾

Once; great-grand generation
Tào 曹

Government department; companions
Tất 畢

To complete, finish
Thạch 石

Stone; common among Khmer Krom
Thái 蔡

Ancient state of Cai; great tortoise
Thẩm 沈

To sink; deep
Thân 申

To extend; ninth earthly branch
Thang 湯

Soup; hot water
Thành 成

To accomplish, become
Thào

Hmong clan name, equivalent to Thao
Thi 施

To bestow, to give
Thiều 韶

Beautiful ancient music
Thiệu 邵

Name of an ancient fief
Tiền 錢

Money, coin
Tiết 薛

A kind of grass; ancient state of Xue
Tiêu 蕭

Mugwort; desolate
Tô 蘇

To revive; perilla herb
Tôn 孫

Grandchild; descendant
Tôn Thất 尊室

Revered house; branch of the Nguyễn royal clan
Tống 宋

Ancient state of Song
Trác 卓

Eminent, outstanding
Trần 陳

To display, arrange; ancient state of Chen
Trang 莊

Village; solemn, dignified
Triệu 趙

Ancient state of Zhao
Trịnh 鄭

Solemn; ancient state of Zheng
Trình 程

Journey; rule, procedure
Trưng 徵

To summon; name of the Trưng sisters
Trương 張

To stretch a bow
Từ 徐

Slowly, gently
Tư Mã 司馬

Master of horses; compound surname
Tưởng 蔣

A kind of grass; ancient state of Jiang

U

Ứng 應

To respond; should
Uông 汪

Vast expanse of water

V

Văn 文

Literature, culture
Vạn 萬

Ten thousand
Vàng

Hmong clan name, equivalent to Vang
Vi 韋

Soft tanned leather
Viên 袁

Long robe
Võ 武

Martial; southern form of Vũ
Vũ 武

Martial, military
Vương 王

King, monarch, ruler
Vưu 尤

Especially; outstanding

X

Xa 車

Cart, vehicle

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Lam

藍

Indigo blue
Điền

田

Rice field
Quan

關

Mountain pass, gate
Mlô

Êđê matrilineal clan name
Vạn

萬

Ten thousand
Nghê

倪

Beginning; small child

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Most common Vietnamese last names and why Nguyễn leads

Vietnam has a remarkably small pool of surnames. Nguyễn alone is carried by roughly four in ten people, and Trần, Lê, Phạm, Hoàng, Phan, Vũ, Đặng, Bùi and Đỗ cover most of the rest. Part of the reason is history: people often took the surname of a ruling dynasty to show loyalty or to escape persecution when power changed hands. When the Trần dynasty replaced the Lý in the thirteenth century, members of the Lý clan were made to take the name Nguyễn.

Every Vietnamese surname has a Chinese character behind it, from the centuries when Vietnamese was written in Chinese script. Nguyễn is 阮, Trần is 陳 and Lê is 黎, and most names are shared with China and Korea in different pronunciations: Trần matches Chinese Chen, and Phạm matches Fan. Regional sound changes created pairs as well. In the south, Hoàng often became Huỳnh and Vũ became Võ, because names used by the ruling Nguyễn lords were taboo.

How Vietnamese last names fit into a full name

A Vietnamese name runs family name, middle name, given name, as in Nguyễn Văn An or Trần Thị Mai. Traditionally Văn marked a man and Thị a woman, although many parents now choose more individual middle names. People are addressed by their given name, not their surname, so Trần Thị Mai is Mai, or Chị Mai in polite speech. Women keep their own surname after marriage, and children normally take the father's.

The diacritics are part of the name. Vietnamese is tonal, and marks such as the tilde in Nguyễn or the dot under Đặng show both the vowel and the tone. The letter Đ with a bar sounds like English d, while plain D sounds like z in the north and y in the south. Keep the marks whenever you can, because without them several different names collapse into one plain spelling, and Vietnamese readers will notice the difference.

Common Vietnamese last names in America

Most Vietnamese Americans arrived after 1975, first as refugees after the fall of Saigon and later through family reunification. Communities formed in Orange County and San Jose in California, Houston, Seattle and northern Virginia. Nguyen is now one of the more common surnames in the whole United States, and in parts of Orange County it is more common than Smith. Tran, Le, Pham and Huynh are also familiar names on American school rolls.

In the United States, most Vietnamese Americans put the family name last to fit American forms, so Nguyễn Văn An becomes An Nguyen, and the diacritics usually vanish. Some people take an English first name and keep the Vietnamese one as a middle name. For a character, that order is a useful signal: a recent arrival might still introduce herself surname first, while her American born children will not. Pronunciation of Nguyen varies too, from a close Vietnamese form to a simple WIN.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common Vietnamese last names?

Nguyễn is by far the most common, carried by close to 40 percent of the population. Trần, Lê, Phạm, Hoàng (Huỳnh in the south), Phan, Vũ (Võ in the south), Đặng, Bùi and Đỗ follow. Together these ten names cover roughly four in five Vietnamese people, which is unusual for any country.

Why do so many Vietnamese last names come from dynasties?

Changing to the name of a ruling family was a way to show loyalty, gain protection or hide from a new regime. Several dynasties also granted their surname to officials as an honour. Over centuries this pulled many families into the same few names, especially Nguyễn, the name of the last dynasty, which ruled from 1802 to 1945.

How do you address someone with a Vietnamese name?

Use the given name, which comes last in Vietnamese order. Nguyễn Văn Hùng is Mr. Hùng, or Anh Hùng among friends of a similar age. Using the family name alone sounds odd, because so many people share it. In the United States many people reverse their names, so check how the person introduces themselves.

Are common Vietnamese last names also used in China?

Most are, with different pronunciations, because they share Chinese characters. Trần is Chen, Phạm is Fan and Hoàng is Huang, while Lê is Li (黎, a different character from the common Chinese Li 李). Nguyễn corresponds to Ruan, which is rare in China, so the most Vietnamese of names is a minor surname there.