Nickname help!
We want to name our baby Penelope but we can’t decide on a nickname? Help!
So you’re thinking about a Vietnamese name for your babe?
Whether you’re honoring your heritage or simply love the beauty of Vietnamese culture, you’re about to discover some amazing options.
Vietnamese names are packed with meaning and have this gorgeous way of telling stories through their characters.
Let’s dive into everything you need to know about choosing the perfect Vietnamese name for your baby.
In this article: 📝
- How do Vietnamese names work?
- Popular Vietnamese names for girls
- Popular Vietnamese names for boys
- Popular gender-neutral Vietnamese names
- Nature-inspired Vietnamese names
- Unique Vietnamese names
- American-Vietnamese names
- Tips for choosing a Vietnamese name for your babe
How do Vietnamese names work?
Vietnamese names follow a unique structure that’s different from what you might be used to, including three parts: your family name, the child’s middle name, and their given name.
Here’s the cool part: unlike Western names, Vietnamese names always put the family name first.
So in the name Tran Thi Mai, “Tran” is the family name, “Thi” is the middle name, and “Mai” is the given name.
Why do Vietnamese people have 3 names?
The three-part structure of Vietnamese names carries deep cultural meaning:
- The family name connects your child to their ancestry and heritage
- The middle name traditionally marks gender (“Thi” for girls, “Van” for boys) or shows which generation someone belongs to
- The given name expresses parents’ hopes and wishes for their child
While three names are traditional, some modern Vietnamese names may have two parts or even four parts.
Some families combine both parents’ surnames or add an extra middle name, or choose to skip the middle name entirely — it’s your choice, mama.
How are Vietnamese names written?
Vietnamese names use the Latin alphabet with additional diacritical marks (those little symbols above or below letters).
These marks are super important — they change both the pronunciation and meaning of names, like:
- Mai = plum blossom 🌸
- Mái = roof 🏠
- Mãi = forever ♾️
- Mại = trade 🤝
- Mài = to sharpen 🔪
Popular Vietnamese names for girls
Looking for a beautiful Vietnamese name for your daughter?
These tried-and-true favorites have been winning hearts for generations, and honestly, we can totally see why.
- Anh: A beloved name meaning “light” or “brightness”.
- Bích: Meaning “jade” or “precious stone”. Just be careful with the pronunciation! 😳
- Chi: Simple yet powerful, meaning “branch” or “purpose”.
- Dieu: “Tender” or “gentle”.
- Duyen: “Grace” or “charm”. Social butterfly vibes.
- Gấm: “Brocade” or “luxurious fabric”.
- Hạnh: “Happy fate” or “good fortune”.
- Hảo: “Good” or “nice”.
- Hiền: “Gentle” or “virtuous”.
- Hoài: “To cherish” or “to long for”.
- Hoan: “Joy” or “cheer”.
- Hương: “Fragrance”. As sweet as it sounds.
- Kieu: “Beloved”.
- Mỹ: “Beautiful”. Because she absolutely is.
- Nga: “Graceful”. Often associated with a swan. 🦢
- Ngọc: “Jade” or “precious stone”. Another gorgeous gem name. 💚
- Nhung: “Velvet”. Soft and luxurious.
- Oanh: “Nightingale”.
- Thi: “Poetry”. For your little wordsmith.
- Thu: “Fall”. Seasonal perfection. 🍁
- Thủy: “Water”. Flowing and adaptable. 🌊
- Trâm: “Hairpin”. Traditionally symbolic of feminine beauty.
- Trang: “Elegant” or “moon”. Grace personified. 🌙
- Yến: “Swallow”, after the bird. Free and graceful.
Pretty Vietnamese names for girls
Garden lovers, prepare to swoon!
These Vietnamese flower names for girls are basically a bouquet of awesome — perfect for your little blossom.
- Dahlia: “Valley flower”.
- Đào: “Peach blossom”. Sweet spring beauty. 🌸
- Hồng: “Pink” or “rose”. For your little flower. 💗
- Hoa: “Flower”. A lyrical-sounding name.
- Huệ: “Lily” or “wisdom”. Beauty and brains in one name.
- Liên: “Lotus”. A symbol of purity and enlightenment. 🪷
- Ngâu: “Cape jasmine”. Sweet-scented lovely.
- Quỳ: “Sunflower”. Bright and cheerful. 🌻
- Quỳnh: “Queen of the night flower”. Exotic and mysterious.
- Sen: “Lotus”. Rising above in beauty.
- Sói: “Evening primrose”. Twilight beauty.
- Violet: “Purple flower”. Western-Vietnamese fusion. 💜
Popular Vietnamese names for boys
These powerhouse picks are packed with cool meanings like “dragon,” “warrior,” and “hero” — because why not start them off with some main character energy?
- Bảo: “Treasure” or “precious”. Because that’s exactly what he is.
- Chí: “Will” or “purpose”. Strong and determined.
- Công: “Success” or “achievement”. Setting the bar high! 🏆
- Đạt: “Achievement”.
- Du: “To roam” or “travel”.
- Đức: “Virtue” or “moral”.
- Dũng: “Brave” or “hero”. For your little warrior. 💪
- Duy: “Only” or “precious one”.
- Hiếu: “Filial piety” or “devotion”.
- Hoàng: “Royal” or “emperor”. Born to lead. 👑
- Hùng: “Brave” or “masculine”. Strong and confident.
- Huy: “Shining” or “brilliant”. Lighting up your world. ✨
- Khoa: “Science” or “subject”.
- Khôi: “Handsome” or “distinguished”.
- Khôn: “Wise” or “intelligent”.
- Kiên: “Steadfast” or “firm”.
- Loan: “Phoenix”.
- Long: “Dragon”. Powerful and mythical. 🐉
- Nam: “South” or “man”.
- Ngân: “Silver”. Shimmering from day one.
- Nguyện: “To vow” or “to make a wish”.
- Quân: “Army” or “soldier”. 🫡
- Quang: “Light” or “bright”.
- Thành: “Success” or “accomplish”.
- Thiện: “Kindness” or “goodness”. A gentle soul.
- Thịnh: “Prosper” or “flourish”.
- Tiệp: “Victory” or “success”.
- Trí: “Wisdom” or “intelligence”. A born philosopher.
- Trung: “Loyal” or “faithful”. True blue.
- Tuấn: “Handsome” or “talented”. Good looks and skills!
- Tước: “Sparrow” or “noble title”.
- Vinh: “Glory” or “honor”. Destined for greatness.
Popular gender-neutral Vietnamese names
Can’t decide? Don’t want to? These names are here for it.
Perfect for keeping everyone guessing until birth day (or forever — you do you).
- Bình: “Peace” or “calm”. ☮️
- Châu: “Pearl” or “precious stone”. 🦪
- Diệu: “Wonderful” or “mysterious”. Full of wonder and possibility.
- Dương: “Sun” or “positive”. ☀️
- Hiển: “Manifest” or “clear”.
- Huân: “To confer a title” or “fragrant aroma”.
- Khải: “Victory” or “triumph”. Born to succeed.
- Khánh: “Celebration”. 🎉
- Linh: “Spirit”. Soulful and deep.
- Lộc: “Prosperity” or “fortune”. Lucky and blessed.
- Minh: “Bright”. Clear as day.
- Nghĩa: “Righteousness” or “meaning”. Purpose-driven.
- Nhật: “Sun”.
- Phương: “Direction” or “way”. Finding their path. 🧭
- Quý: “Precious”. Valued and loved.
- Thắng: “Victory” or “win”.
- Thanh: “Pure” or “clear”.
- Thuận: “Favorable” or “smooth”. Easy-going nature.
- Tiến: “Progress” or “advance”. 🚀
- Tú: “Elegant” or “distinguished”. Grace personified.
- Uyên: “Profound” or “deep”. A thoughtful soul.
Nature-inspired Vietnamese names
These names are basically poetry wrapped in meaning — flowers, mountains, rivers, and all that good stuff that makes you want to go camping (or at least look at camping pics on Instagram).
- Cúc: Meaning “chrysanthemum”.
- Diệp: Meaning “leaf”. 🍃
- Giang: Meaning “river”.
- Hà: Meaning “river”.
- Hải: Meaning “ocean”.
- Lâm: Meaning “forest”. 🌳
- Liễu: Meaning “willow”. Graceful but flexible.
- Sơn: Meaning “mountain”. ⛰️
- Thảo: Meaning “herb” or “grass”.
- Trúc: Meaning “bamboo”.
- Tuyền: Meaning “spring” or “small stream”.
- Tuyết: Meaning “snow”. ❄️
- Vân: Meaning “cloud”. ☁️
- Xuân: Meaning “spring”.
Unique Vietnamese names
Tired of the same old, same old?
These names are for parents who want their kid to stand out in the best way possible.
- Bảng: “Bright” or “clear”.
- Bươm: “Butterfly”. 🦋
- Chương: “Chapter” or “paragraph”. Writing their own story.
- Doanh: “Foster” or “nurture”.
- Giáp: “Protected” or “shielded”. Safe and sound. 🛡️
- Hiệp: “Unite” or “harmony”. Bringing people together.
- Khiêm: “Modest” or “humble”.
- Lương: “Good” or “virtue”. 😇
- Mưa: “Rain”. 🌧️
- Nghị: “Discussion” or “deliberation”.
- Nhàn: “Leisure” or “serenity”.
- Phi: “To fly” or “uncommon”.
- Phụng: “Phoenix”. 🔥
- Quà: “Gift”. 🎁
- Quế: “Cinnamon”. Spicy and special. 🌶️
- Sang: “Noble” or “bright”. Standing apart.
- Thạch: “Stone”. Solid and dependable. 🪨
- Thế: “Generation” or “era”. Making history.
- Tỏa: “To spread” or “to radiate”.
- Toàn: “Complete” or “whole”.
- Tuyết: “Snow”. 🌨️
- Uyen: “Deep knowledge”. 🤔
- Vàng: “Yellow” or “gold”. 💛
- Việt: “Transcend”. A lovely way to honor your heritage.
American-Vietnamese names
Want a name that won’t get butchered at Starbucks?
These Vietnamese gems are totally pronunciation-proof, so your kid won’t have to spend their life correcting people (and you won’t have to either).
- Ai: Meaning “love” — sounds like “I”. 🫶
- Ân: Meaning “peace” — sounds like “on”. Simple, short, and sweet for any context.
- Bien: Meaning “sea”.
- Cẩm: Meaning “silk” or “precious”.
- Cat: Meaning “sand”. 🏖️
- Cây: Meaning “tree”. 🌲
- Dai: Meaning “great” — pronounced like “die”, but with a much cuter meaning.
- Dân: Meaning “people” or “folk”.
- Gió: Meaning “wind”. 💨
- Han: Meaning “rare” or “special”.
- Kai: Meaning “victory”.
- Kim: Meaning “gold”. 🥇
- Lai: Meaning “friendly” or “comfortable” — pronounced as “lie”.
- Lan: Meaning “orchid” — sounds like “lawn”.
- Lee: Meaning “plum”.
- Liêm: Meaning “honest” or “full of integrity”.
- Lin: Meaning “bell”. 🔔
- Luu: Meaning “willow”.
- Mai: Meaning “plum blossom” — sounds like “my”.
- Ni: Meaning “small” — as easy as it gets, sounds like “knee”.
- Sam: Meaning “coral”. 🪸
- Tai: Meaning “talent” — pronounced like “tie”.
- Tâm: Meaning “heart”. ❤️
- Tân: Meaning “new”.
- Tien: Meaning “fairy” — sounds like “tee-en”. 🧚
- Tri: Meaning “wisdom” — pronounced like “tree”.
- Trinh: Meaning “pure” or “virtuous” — pronounced as “trin”.
- Van: Meaning “cloud”.
- Vĩ: Meaning “great” or “mighty”. Big shoes to fill — in a good way.
- Vien: Meaning “completion” or “fulfillment” — sounds like “vee-en”.
- Vy: Meaning “gentle” or “tiny”.
Tips for choosing a Vietnamese name for your babe
- Think about how the name works in both Vietnamese and English contexts (Phúc might be popular in Vietnam, but in the US… it might get you some shocked glances).
- Consider the meaning and how it reflects your hopes for your child
- Practice saying the name out loud — a lot!
- Remember that middle names matter in Vietnamese culture
- Check how the name flows with your chosen surname
- Think about any nicknames that might come from the name — although many Vietnamese baby names are pretty short already
Vietnamese names offer a beautiful way to honor heritage while giving your child a meaningful, unique identity.
Whether you choose a traditional three-part name or opt for something more modern, these names carry rich cultural significance and beauty.
Take your time exploring different options — the perfect name for your little one is waiting to be discovered.
And if you want a second (or third) opinion on your top choices to whittle down your shortlist, our moms-to-be are always there on Peanut.