Vietnamese names run in the opposite order to English ones: the family name comes first, then a middle name, then the given name your daughter will actually be called by (1). Every name below is a given name, the part that carries the meaning.
Most of them fall into a few families: flowers and nature, gems and precious materials, virtues, and the seasons. A Vietnamese given name is usually a wish rather than a label, which is the tradition worth knowing before you choose. More than 2 million Vietnamese Americans live in the United States, about 8 percent of the country’s Asian population (2), so these names travel with plenty of company.
Each of the 100 names here comes with its meaning, its pronunciation, and where it stands in U.S. birth records. Those figures come from the Social Security Administration, which lists a name only once it reaches five births in a year (3), and whose records reach back to 1880. A name with no ranking here is genuinely rare in America rather than missing from the data.
Popularity at a Glance
The most popular names on this list in the United States, 1965 to 2025: Van, Cara, Cam, Cai and Tai.
100 Cute Vietnamese Names for Girls
These unique Vietnamese girl names are sure to make your heart flutter!
Ai
Ai packs the idea of tender, sentimental love into a single syllable, and it is said like the English word eye. It has stayed rare in the United States: fewer than 400 American babies have received the name since it first reached federal birth records in 1974. Tennis player Ai Sugiyama and entertainer Ai Carina Uemura give it a modern profile abroad. A short and sweet name like this one leaves room for a longer, more ornate middle name.
- Origin: Sino-Vietnamese
- Meaning: A sentimental love
- Pronunciation: ih
- Namesakes: Ai Sugiyama, a Japanese tennis player. Ai Carina Uemura, a Japanese American entertainer.
- Popularity: Last listed in U.S. birth data in 2021 at #9,580, after a high of #5,005 in 1991. 392 births on record in all.
Am
Am points at the moon, and in Vietnamese tradition the moon carries the idea of prosperity. It is a quiet, unhurried name that suits a baby born under a bright night sky. Federal birth records in the United States have never listed it, so your daughter would almost certainly be the only Am in her class. That rarity is either the appeal or the deal breaker, and only you can call it.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Lunar, female
- Pronunciation: ahm
- Popularity: Too rare for U.S. federal data, which begins listing a name at five births in a year.
Anh
Anh means peace and carries a second sense of bravery, an unusual pairing to fit in one syllable. It is a genuinely common unisex name, and U.S. birth records bear that out: roughly three in ten American babies given the name are boys. It reached its American high point in 1984 at #1,635 and is still on the list in 2025. Author Anh Do is the bearer most English-speaking readers will have met.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Peace, brave
- Pronunciation: ahn
- Variations: Ahn, An
- Namesakes: Anh Do, a Vietnamese Australian author.
- Popularity: Ranked #6,137 in U.S. births in 2025, with 19 recorded that year. Its best showing was #1,635 in 1984.
Bian
Bian carries the idea of a woman who keeps her own counsel, which reads as intriguing rather than cold. It is new to American birth records: 2024 was the first year it cleared the publication threshold at all. Its namesakes, a Chinese court painter and an empress, give it a long history outside the United States. Two beats, bee-uhn, and no pronunciation trap.
- Origin: Sino-Vietnamese
- Meaning: Secretive, woman with secrets
- Pronunciation: bee-uhn
- Namesakes: Bian Jingzhao, a Chinese painter. Queen Bian, a Western Quin dynasty empress.
- Popularity: Peaked in the U.S. at #12,590 in 2024 and was last listed in 2024 at #12,590, 5 births on record in all.
Bich
Bich means jade, the blue-green stone Vietnamese families have long treated as protective. The spelling throws American readers, since the southern Vietnamese pronunciation turns the ch into a t sound, so expect to say it aloud more than once. In U.S. birth records the name arrived with the post-1975 wave, peaked in 1983, and has not been listed since 1992. Novelist Bich Minh Nguyen, who publishes as Beth, is its best-known bearer in the United States. It is a lovely name that asks something of the people around it.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Jade, blue-green color
- Pronunciation: bu’t
- Namesakes: Bich Minh “Beth” Nguyen, a Vietnamese American novelist.
- Popularity: Last listed in U.S. birth data in 1992 at #13,533, after a high of #4,495 in 1983. 142 births on record in all.
Ca
Ca means the eldest or the first, which makes it an obvious fit for a firstborn daughter. It shares its name with the Ca River, which crosses Laos and Vietnamese provinces. The sound is blunt and clean, closer to a nickname than a formal name, and it sits comfortably in the middle position of a longer Vietnamese name. American birth records have never listed it.
- Origin: Northern Vietnamese
- Meaning: The eldest, the first
- Pronunciation: kah
- Popularity: No U.S. ranking on record; the published SSA lists start at five births in a year.
Cai
Cai simply means female, about as direct as a Vietnamese girl’s name gets. In the United States it remains close to its 2022 peak and is still charted in 2025. About a quarter of American babies given the name are girls, so it reads as genuinely shared rather than borrowed. Astronaut Cai Xuzhe and the Han dynasty’s Lady Cai carry it in Chinese history.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Female, feminine
- Pronunciation: kih
- Namesakes: Cai Xuzhe, a Chinese astronaut. Lady Cai, a Han dynasty empress.
- Popularity: Per the Social Security Administration: ranked #2,113 in U.S. births in 2025, with 69 recorded that year. Its best showing was #1,612 in 2022.
Cais
Cais describes a person who rejoices, a warm thing to hand a child. It is rare in Vietnam and rarer still abroad, and U.S. birth records have never listed it. The sound splits neatly into two beats, ka-iss, so it survives being said quickly. If you like the shape of Cai but want a little more length, compare the two side by side.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: A person that rejoices
- Pronunciation: ka-iss
- Popularity: Too rare for U.S. federal data, which begins listing a name at five births in a year.
Cam
Cam means the orange fruit, the sweet citrus rather than the color, which gives it a bright, uncomplicated feel. It is also a fairly common Vietnamese surname. In the United States the name is having its strongest run yet, with 2025 its highest year on record. Roughly one in eight American babies given the name is a girl, so American ears may hear it as a boy’s name first. Worth a trial run out loud before you decide.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Orange fruit, sweet citrus
- Pronunciation: kahm
- Popularity: Ranked #1,395 in U.S. births in 2025, with 131 recorded that year. Its best showing was #1,395 in 2025.
Cara
Cara means precious jewel in its Vietnamese reading, and the same spelling exists as a Latin name meaning dear, which is why it sounds familiar to American ears. That familiarity shows in the data: Cara reached #184 in 1985 and still ranked in 2025, though births are down about 46 percent on the previous decade. Photographer and writer Cara Judea Alhadeff is one contemporary bearer. Its double life, Vietnamese and Latin, is what makes it need so little explaining.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Precious jewel
- Pronunciation: kah-rah
- Namesakes: Cara Judea Alhadeff, an American photographer, performance artist, writer, and yoga teacher.
- Popularity: Still on the U.S. charts: #1,326 in 2025 (168 births), against a high of #184 in 1985.
Chau
Chau means pearls, and the Vietnamese spelling shares a root with Zhou and Chow of Chinese origin. In Vietnam it is used more often as a given name than as a surname. American records last listed it in 2022, after a high in 1980. Actress Chrissie Chau is its most visible modern bearer.
- Origin: Sino-Vietnamese
- Meaning: Pearls
- Pronunciation: chow
- Namesakes: Chrissie Chau, a Chinese actress best known for her role in the film Womb Ghosts.
- Popularity: Last listed in U.S. birth data in 2022 at #12,517, after a high of #3,630 in 1980. 389 births on record in all.
Chi
Chi means a branch or a twig, a small living thing rather than a grand one. It peaked in 1973 and remains on the SSA list in 2025, a long run for a name this rare. Ji is an accepted variant spelling.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Tree brand, twig
- Pronunciation: chee
- Variations: Ji
- Popularity: Per the Social Security Administration: still on the U.S. charts: #6,596 in 2025 (17 births), against a high of #2,516 in 1973.
Cuc
Cuc means chrysanthemum, and it is a common name in Vietnam that rarely travels. U.S. federal birth data has never listed it. The single syllable is easy to say and hard to shorten, which some parents will count as a feature. If you want a flower name with no American echo at all, Cuc qualifies.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Chrysanthemum
- Pronunciation: kuk
- Popularity: Not listed in U.S. birth data. The Social Security Administration only publishes a name once it reaches five births in a year.
Da’o
Da’o means blossom, and it sits in the nature cluster Vietnamese girl names draw on most heavily. It is rare in the United States and abroad, and federal records have never listed it. The sound is soft and lands in one beat, which makes it a good partner for a longer middle name.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Blossom
- Pronunciation: dow
- Popularity: Too rare for U.S. federal data, which begins listing a name at five births in a year.
Dep
Dep means beautiful, and the same name given to a boy in Vietnam carries the sense of handsome instead. That flexibility makes it a real unisex pick rather than a girl’s name with a boyish edge. It is rare everywhere, and it has never appeared in U.S. birth records. Say it once and it lands: one syllable, no ambiguity.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Beautiful, beautiful lady
- Pronunciation: dep
- Popularity: No U.S. ranking on record; the published SSA lists start at five births in a year.
Diep
Diep means leaf, which puts it beside Da’o and Hoa in the nature family. It is far more common as a surname in Vietnam than as a given name. In the United States it appeared only briefly, last listed in 1992, with fewer than two dozen births on record in total. Priest Francis Xavier Truong Buu Diep is its best-known bearer.
- Origin: Sino-Vietnamese
- Meaning: Leaf
- Pronunciation: dee-ep
- Namesakes: Francis Xavier Truong Buu Diep, a Vietnamese Catholic priest.
- Popularity: Peaked in the U.S. at #10,707 in 1983 and was last listed in 1992 at #12,189, 21 births on record in all.
Dieu
Dieu means good looking, and it belongs to Vietnamese and Chinese naming history alike. American records carried it for only a handful of years and have not listed it since 1992. It is a one-beat name, said like the English word dew, so pronunciation is not the hurdle the spelling suggests. For a family with roots in both countries, it does double duty.
- Origin: Sino-Vietnamese
- Meaning: Good looking
- Pronunciation: dew
- Popularity: Last listed in U.S. birth data in 1992 at #13,878, after a high of #10,576 in 1991. 22 births on record in all.
Diu
Diu means tender and gentle, and it also carries the sense of a meadow. Federal birth data in the United States has never recorded it. The two beats, dee-ew, stay soft the whole way through, which suits the meaning. It is the kind of name you will always spell out, so weigh that against how much you like it.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Tender, gentle, meadow
- Pronunciation: dee-ew
- Popularity: No U.S. ranking on record; the published SSA lists start at five births in a year.
Giang
Giang means river, and it works as both a surname and a given name in Vietnam. It makes a lovely name to signify your love for nature without reaching for anything obvious. U.S. records list it only sparsely, with a dozen births in total and nothing since 2010. Video creator Giang Oi is its most familiar contemporary bearer.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: River
- Pronunciation: gee-yang
- Namesakes: Giang Oi, a popular Vietnamese YouTuber.
- Popularity: Last listed in U.S. birth data in 2010 at #15,625, after a high of #11,886 in 1990. 12 births on record in all.
Ha
Ha means sunshine and warmth, and it sounds like the start of a laugh. In American birth records it arrived with the late-1970s wave, peaked in 1984, and was last listed in 2013. Actress Ha Ji-won keeps it visible on screen. Short, bright, and impossible to mispronounce.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Sunshine, warmth
- Pronunciation: hah
- Namesakes: Ha Ji-won, a South Korean actress best known for her role in the film Hwang Jini.
- Popularity: Peaked in the U.S. at #3,010 in 1984 and was last listed in 2013 at #15,293, 422 births on record in all.
Hang
Hang means the angel in the full moon, one of the more picturesque meanings on this list. It serves as both a given name and a surname in Vietnam. In the United States it peaked in 1984 and was last listed in 2007, with fewer than 400 births on record in total. American readers will see the English verb first, which is worth testing out loud before you commit.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Angel in full moon
- Pronunciation: hohng
- Popularity: Last listed in U.S. birth data in 2007 at #18,630, after a high of #2,203 in 1984. 382 births on record in all.
Hanh
Hanh means beautiful and moral, pairing looks with character the way Vietnamese virtue names often do. It followed the same American arc as many names here, peaking in 1982 and dropping off the list after 2003. The single syllable is easy for English speakers, and it doubles as a natural middle name.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Beautiful and moral
- Pronunciation: hahn
- Popularity: Peaked in the U.S. at #2,603 in 1982 and was last listed in 2003 at #12,901, 454 births on record in all.
Hanh Phu’c
Hanh Phu’c means happiness, a blessing from above. It is rare in Vietnam and unrecorded in U.S. birth data. The two parts, hahn and fook, are said in even beats. Hanh works as a natural short form if the full version proves a mouthful on American paperwork.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Blessing from above, happiness
- Pronunciation: hahn-fook
- Popularity: Too rare for U.S. federal data, which begins listing a name at five births in a year.
Hao
Hao means good, or perfect, a plain compliment of a name. It is unisex and leans male, and U.S. birth records back that up: only a small share of its American bearers are girls. It was last listed in 2025, well after its 1992 peak. Actress Hao Lei carries it on screen. The sound, how, is a single open beat that English speakers manage on the first try.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Good, perfect
- Pronunciation: how
- Namesakes: Hao Lei, a Chinese actress best known for her role in the film Summer Palace.
- Popularity: Still on the U.S. charts: #11,154 in 2025 (6 births), against a high of #3,264 in 1992.
Hien
Hien means gentle and quiet, two qualities the sound of the name actually delivers. It is genuinely unisex in U.S. data, where roughly half the babies on record with the name are girls. It peaked in 1985 and was last listed in 2016. Actresses Hien Nguyen and Kim Hien are among its bearers.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Gentle, quiet
- Pronunciation: hee-in
- Namesakes: Hien Nguyen, a Vietnamese actress, best known for her role in Mother Fish. Kim Hien, a Vietnamese American actress, best known for her role in Sword of the Assassin.
- Popularity: Last listed in U.S. birth data in 2016 at #10,049, after a high of #2,541 in 1985. 305 births on record in all.
Hiep
Hiep means to unite, and it works as a first name or a middle name for girls without adjustment. In U.S. records it ran from 1980 to 2002. The name reached a wider audience in 2021, when Olivia Munn and John Mulaney gave it to their son Malcolm in honor of Munn’s Vietnamese heritage. Its unisex use is the point rather than a complication.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: To unite
- Pronunciation: hah-ee-ep
- Popularity: Peaked in the U.S. at #3,302 in 1983 and was last listed in 2002 at #9,832, 120 births on record in all.
Hoa
Hoa means flower, and by extension peace, a lot of goodwill for three letters. Its American run peaked in 1982 and ended in 2004, and about half the U.S. babies on record with the name are girls. The sound, hoh-uh, has a gentle lift at the end. Singer Hoa Minzy is its most recognizable modern bearer.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Flower, peace
- Pronunciation: hoh-uh
- Namesakes: Hoa Minzy, a Vietnamese singer and actress, best known as the Start Vietnam Academy season one winner.
- Popularity: Last listed in U.S. birth data in 2004 at #12,019, after a high of #2,368 in 1982. 262 births on record in all.
Hong Hanh
Hong Hanh means pink apricot blossom, a flower-inspired name with a specific picture behind it. Flowering branches are the centerpiece of Tet in Vietnam, yellow apricot in the south and peach in the north. The compound has never appeared in U.S. birth data. Said in full it runs two beats, hohng-hahn, and it shortens to Hanh with nothing lost.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Pink apricot blossom
- Pronunciation: hohng-hahn
- Popularity: Not listed in U.S. birth data. The Social Security Administration only publishes a name once it reaches five births in a year.
Hue
Hue means lily. Lilies carry associations with purity and rebirth across many cultures, and the name borrows that quiet weight. It is one of the older entries here in American terms, first recorded in 1913 and best ranked in 1931, long before the post-1975 arrivals. It was last listed in 2024. English speakers will read it as the color word, so expect to correct that more than once.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Lily
- Pronunciation: hew
- Popularity: Last listed in U.S. birth data in 2024 at #13,010, after a high of #2,043 in 1931. 476 births on record in all.
Huong
Huong means pink rose, a flower tied to gratitude. Its American run tracks the same arc as its neighbors on this list, a 1982 high and a last listing in 2011. Singer Huong Tram carries it today. Five letters, two beats, and a meaning that needs no explaining.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Pink rose
- Pronunciation: hoo-wong
- Namesakes: Huong Tram, is a Vietnamese singer.
- Popularity: Peaked in the U.S. at #2,035 in 1982 and was last listed in 2011 at #17,796, 578 births on record in all.
Hwa
Hwa means flower, the shortest way this list says it. Federal birth data in the United States has never listed the name. The single beat, wah, is easy for English speakers even though the spelling suggests otherwise. It suits parents who want a floral name with none of the frills.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Flower
- Pronunciation: wah
- Popularity: Not listed in U.S. birth data. The Social Security Administration only publishes a name once it reaches five births in a year.
Hyunh
Hyunh means yellow, or golden. In Vietnamese custom yellow is read as wealth and hope, which is part of why it dominates Tet decoration in the south. The name is rare in Vietnam and unrecorded in U.S. birth data. The spelling will need repeating; the meaning may be worth it.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Yellow, golden
- Pronunciation: hie-uhn
- Popularity: Too rare for U.S. federal data, which begins listing a name at five births in a year.
Khanh
Khanh means precious stone, one of several gem names Vietnamese parents reach for. It splits close to evenly between boys and girls in U.S. records, where it peaked in 1982 and was last listed in 2018. The sound, kahn, is short and firm rather than delicate. It makes a strong middle name behind a longer first.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Precious stone
- Pronunciation: kahn
- Popularity: Last listed in U.S. birth data in 2018 at #10,248, after a high of #1,874 in 1982. 415 births on record in all.
Kho
Kho names the goddess of marketplaces and business in Vietnamese belief, also known as Ba Chua Cho. If you have hopes of raising an industrious daughter, the association is hard to beat. The name has never been listed in U.S. birth records. That rarity is the trade-off for a meaning few other names on this list can match.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Goddess of the marketplace
- Pronunciation: koh
- Popularity: Not listed in U.S. birth data. The Social Security Administration only publishes a name once it reaches five births in a year.
Khuyen
Khuyen means to give advice, an unusual thing to name a child after and a memorable one. It is traditionally unisex and used mostly for girls in Vietnam. American birth data has never listed it, so it sits firmly outside the U.S. mainstream. The two beats, KOO-yin, come out softer than the spelling looks.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Give advice
- Pronunciation: KOO-yin
- Popularity: Too rare for U.S. federal data, which begins listing a name at five births in a year.
Kieu
Kieu means graceful, beloved, and pretty, and it carries further readings of loftiness and allure. It appeared in U.S. records from 1980 and was last listed in 2002. Actress Kieu Chinh gives it a long screen history. The single syllable, KEEW, is closer to the English word cue than the spelling suggests.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Graceful, beloved, pretty
- Pronunciation: KEEW
- Namesakes: Kieu Chinh, a Vietnamese actress, best known for her role in Operation C.I.A.
- Popularity: Peaked in the U.S. at #5,005 in 1983 and was last listed in 2002 at #16,854, 145 births on record in all.
Kim
Kim means golden, and it needs no introduction in the United States. That familiarity has a long history behind it: Kim ranked #34 nationally in 1960, its highest point, and close to 180,000 American babies have carried it since. It has fallen a long way since then and was still listed in 2025. In the United States it often works as a short form of Kimberly rather than a name in its own right. It is also the 25th most common surname in the world, which is part of why it travels so easily.
- Origin: Vietnamese, Korean
- Meaning: Golden
- Pronunciation: kim
- Namesakes: Kim Ah-joong, a South Korean actress best known for her role in the film 200 Pounds Beauty. Tran Trong Kim, a Vietnamese Prime Minister.
- Popularity: Ranked #4,228 in U.S. births in 2025, with 34 recorded that year. Its best showing was #34 in 1960.
Kim Cuc
Kim Cuc means golden chrysanthemum, joining the gold of Kim to the flower of Cuc. Compound names like this one carry their meaning openly, which is much of the appeal. U.S. birth records have never listed it. Kim works as the everyday short form if the full version proves long for American paperwork.
- Origin: Vietnamese, Japanese
- Meaning: Golden chrysanthemum
- Pronunciation: kim-kuk
- Popularity: Too rare for U.S. federal data, which begins listing a name at five births in a year.
Kim-ly
Kim-Ly means golden lion, and the hyphen is doing real work by keeping both halves audible. Lions carry associations with prosperity and good fortune in Vietnamese culture. The name has never reached U.S. birth records. If you like hyphenated names, this is the one on the list that earns its punctuation.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Golden lion
- Pronunciation: kim-lee
- Popularity: No U.S. ranking on record; the published SSA lists start at five births in a year.
Lan
Lan means flower, and floral names have carried Vietnamese girl names for generations. In the United States it peaked in 1982 and was last listed in 2019, with births down about a third on the previous decade. It is used for boys as well, and roughly three in ten American bearers on record are male. Its brevity makes it easy to pair with a longer, more elaborate middle name.
- Origin: Sino-Vietnamese
- Meaning: Flower
- Pronunciation: lahn
- Popularity: Peaked in the U.S. at #2,170 in 1982 and was last listed in 2019 at #16,928, 769 births on record in all.
Lang
Lang means sweet potato, which sounds odd in English and reads as homely and affectionate in Vietnamese. American records go back further than you would expect, to 1918, with a best rank in 1948 and a last listing in 2023. Births are actually up about a third on the previous decade. Model and actress Bang Lang carries it in Vietnam.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Sweet potato
- Pronunciation: lahng
- Namesakes: Bang Lang, a Vietnamese model, and actress, best known for her role in the film Dance Girls.
- Popularity: Last listed in U.S. birth data in 2023 at #13,358, after a high of #2,536 in 1948. 549 births on record in all.
Lien
Lien means lotus flower, which makes it a sibling to Sen further down this list. In U.S. records it peaked in 1982 and was last listed in 2022. English speakers say it leen, one beat, with no trouble at all. It is the more formal sounding of the two lotus names here.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Lotus flower
- Pronunciation: leen
- Popularity: Peaked in the U.S. at #2,737 in 1982 and was last listed in 2022 at #16,698, 519 births on record in all.
Linh
Linh means spring, the season of starting over. It reached its American high in 1984 and was still listed in 2025, though births are down about 28 percent on the previous decade. Actress Linh Dan Pham is its best-known bearer abroad.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Spring
- Pronunciation: lin
- Namesakes: Linh Dan Pham, a Vietnamese-French actress best known for her role in the film Indochine.
- Popularity: Ranked #7,008 in U.S. births in 2025, with 16 recorded that year. Its best showing was #1,714 in 1984.
Loan
Loan means lucky bird. The English homograph is the obvious hurdle, and it is worth saying the name out loud in a full sentence before deciding. In U.S. birth data it is a recent arrival, first listed in 2023. Police chief Nguyen Ngoc Loan is its best-known historical bearer.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Lucky bird
- Pronunciation: lun
- Namesakes: Nguyễn Ngọc Loan, a former South Vietnamese National Police chief.
- Popularity: Still on the U.S. charts: #6,315 in 2025 (14 births), against a high of #6,315 in 2025.
Long
Long carries the dragon, the animal Vietnamese folklore places at the origin of the people themselves. It is a strong name by any reading, and it leans male in practice. It is also the steepest faller on this list in U.S. births, down about 51 percent on the previous decade, after peaking in 1988. Emperor Gia Long, founder of the Nguyen dynasty, is its most consequential bearer.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Dragon
- Pronunciation: lohng
- Namesakes: Gia Long, founding emperor of the Vietnamese Nguyen dynasty.
- Popularity: Per the Social Security Administration: ranked #13,152 in U.S. births in 2025, with 5 recorded that year. Its best showing was #821 in 1988.
Ly
Ly means lion, packed into two letters. Lions appear throughout Vietnamese mythology and religion as figures of good fortune. In U.S. records the name peaked in 1984 and was last listed in 2008. Poker player Minh Hoang Ly carries it publicly. Small name, large idea.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Lion
- Pronunciation: lih
- Namesakes: Minh Hoang Ly, a professional Vietnamese American poker player.
- Popularity: Peaked in the U.S. at #3,477 in 1984 and was last listed in 2008 at #13,321, 280 births on record in all.
Mai
Mai means plum, and more particularly the yellow apricot blossom that fills southern Vietnamese homes at Tet, where the color is read as wealth and hope. In U.S. birth records the name goes back to 1880, peaked in 1990, and was still listed in 2025. Chemist and science journalist Mai Thi Nguyen-Kim is a well-known contemporary bearer. One syllable, said like the English word my, and it needs no spelling lesson.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Plum, yellow apricot flower
- Pronunciation: mih
- Namesakes: Mai Thi Nguyen-Kim, a German chemist and science journalist.
- Popularity: Ranked #3,016 in U.S. births in 2025, with 55 recorded that year. Its best showing was #795 in 1990.
Mat Ga Trong
Mat Ga Trong names a sun goddess in Vietnamese mythology. It is rarely given even in Vietnam, and U.S. birth records have never listed it. At three syllables it is a lot of name for a birth certificate. The mythology behind it is the draw.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Sun goddess
- Pronunciation: maht-gah-trahng
- Popularity: No U.S. ranking on record; the published SSA lists start at five births in a year.
My
My means pretty, said mih rather than like the English possessive. In U.S. records it peaked in 1982 and was still listed in 2025. Singer-songwriter My Tam is its most recognizable bearer. The spelling collision with English is real, and the name is short enough to survive it.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Pretty
- Pronunciation: mih
- Namesakes: Mỹ Tâm, a Vietnamese singer-songwriter best known for her song Hoạ Mi Tóc Nâu.
- Popularity: Ranked #12,775 in U.S. births in 2025, with 7 recorded that year. Its best showing was #1,362 in 1982.
Mychau
Mychau means great, an aspiration rather than a description. It has never appeared in U.S. birth data. The two beats, mih-chow, run together easily, and the name splits into My and Chau, both of which appear separately on this list. That makes it a tidy way to honor two names at once.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Great
- Pronunciation: mih-chow
- Popularity: Too rare for U.S. federal data, which begins listing a name at five births in a year.
My-Duyen
My-Duyen means beautiful, doubling down on the idea across both halves. It is a hyphenated name that keeps each part audible, which is the point of the punctuation. U.S. birth records have never listed it. Dancer and actress My Duyen carries it in Vietnam.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Beautiful, pretty
- Pronunciation: mih-dew-yin
- Namesakes: My Duyen, a Vietnamese dancer and actress, best known for her role in Kung Fu Pho.
- Popularity: No U.S. ranking on record; the published SSA lists start at five births in a year.
Nam Ha
Nam Ha means south river. If your family’s roots run to southern Vietnam, the name carries that geography without spelling it out. The Saigon River, which the name evokes, is the main water supply for the region. It has never appeared in U.S. birth data, and it shortens to Ha, which appears on this list in its own right.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: South River
- Pronunciation: nahm-hah
- Popularity: Not listed in U.S. birth data. The Social Security Administration only publishes a name once it reaches five births in a year.
Ngoc
Ngoc means jade, the stone Vietnamese families associate with protection. It is the rarest name on this list in current American terms: its 2025 listing works out to roughly one birth in every 333,000. Model and entertainer Ho Ngoc Ha keeps it visible. The pronunciation, nyope, is the real hurdle for English speakers, and it is worth teaching once rather than correcting forever.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Jade, precious stone, gem
- Pronunciation: nyope
- Namesakes: Ho Ngoc Ha, a Vietnamese model, and entertainer.
- Popularity: Per the Social Security Administration: ranked #16,591 in U.S. births in 2025, with 5 recorded that year. Its best showing was #2,176 in 1982.
Ngoc Bich
Ngoc Bich means sapphire, joining the jade of Ngoc to the blue-green of Bich. It is rare globally and has never been listed in U.S. birth data. Across several Asian cultures sapphire stands for spirituality and loyalty. Compound gem names like this one read as formal, which is either exactly right or slightly much.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Sapphire
- Pronunciation: nyope-bu’t
- Popularity: No U.S. ranking on record; the published SSA lists start at five births in a year.
Ngon
Ngon means good communication, an unusual thing to wish on a newborn and a practical one. Vietnamese naming often works this way, encoding a hope rather than describing a trait. U.S. birth records have never listed it. If you want a daughter who speaks well and is heard, the name says so out loud.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Good communication
- Pronunciation: nyon
- Popularity: Not listed in U.S. birth data. The Social Security Administration only publishes a name once it reaches five births in a year.
Nguyen
Nguyen doubles as a given name and as the most common family name in Vietnam, carried by roughly 40 percent of the population. Its given-name meaning is sleep, quieter than the surname’s weight suggests. In U.S. records it peaked in 1983 and was still listed in 2025. American readers will meet the surname far more often than the given name, which cuts both ways.
- Origin: Sino-Vietnamese
- Meaning: Sleep
- Pronunciation: new-en
- Namesakes: Nguyen Sinh Cung, a Vietnamese Prime Minister.
- Popularity: Still on the U.S. charts: #13,330 in 2025 (5 births), against a high of #2,548 in 1983.
Nguyet
Nguyet means moon, stated plainly and without decoration. In U.S. records it appeared briefly in the 1980s and early 1990s and was last listed in 1995. The two beats, new-yet, are straightforward once you have heard them said. It is a good candidate for the middle position behind a short first name.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Moon
- Pronunciation: new-yet
- Popularity: Last listed in U.S. birth data in 1995 at #15,069, after a high of #6,086 in 1983. 73 births on record in all.
Nhu
Nhu means everything according to one’s wishes, about as generous a meaning as a name can carry. In U.S. records it ran from 1980 to 2020. Singer Nhu Loan carries it in Vietnam. The sound, n-oo, is short and soft, and it slips easily into a longer full name.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Everything according to one’s wishes, alike
- Pronunciation: n-oo
- Namesakes: Nhu Loan, a Vietnamese singer.
- Popularity: Peaked in the U.S. at #4,875 in 1982 and was last listed in 2020 at #14,639, 372 births on record in all.
Nhung
Nhung means velvet, and also the young horns of a deer, a more specific picture than most names offer. Deer carry associations with longevity and riches in Asian culture. In U.S. records the name peaked in 1983 and was last listed in 2002. The soft sound matches the meaning better than most names manage.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Velvet, Young Horns of a Deer
- Pronunciation: n-yung
- Popularity: Last listed in U.S. birth data in 2002 at #17,369, after a high of #4,228 in 1983. 215 births on record in all.
Nu
Nu simply means girl, and it is hard to be more direct than that. Former Burmese prime minister U Nu shows how far the name travels beyond Vietnam, where it also works as a surname. U.S. birth records have never listed it. That plainness is the whole point for parents who want a name that needs no explanation.
- Origin: Vietnamese, Burmese
- Meaning: Girl
- Pronunciation: noo
- Namesakes: U Nu, a former Union of Burma prime minister.
- Popularity: No U.S. ranking on record; the published SSA lists start at five births in a year.
Oanh
Oanh means oriole, a bird best drawn to a feeder with fruit and nectar. In U.S. records it peaked in 1981 and was last listed in 2002. The single beat, own, sounds nothing like the spelling, which is the usual Vietnamese lesson. It is unisex in Vietnam and reads feminine to most English speakers.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Oriole
- Pronunciation: own
- Popularity: Last listed in U.S. birth data in 2002 at #17,415, after a high of #3,596 in 1981. 238 births on record in all.
Phoung
Phoung means a legendary bird, which puts the whole idea of flight behind a single name. U.S. birth records list it in exactly one year, 1991, and never again. The spelling sits one letter away from Phuong, so expect each to be misread as the other. If you want a name with almost no American history at all, this is it.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: A legendary bird
- Pronunciation: f-awng
- Popularity: Peaked in the U.S. at #14,753 in 1991 and was last listed in 1991 at #14,753, 5 births on record in all.
Phuong
Phuong means destiny, direction, and phoenix, three readings that pull in slightly different directions. It is common among Vietnamese immigrants in the United States, where it peaked in 1984 and was last listed in 2013. Country singer Phuong Dung carries it in Vietnam. The pronunciation, fung, is shorter than the spelling promises.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Destiny, direction, phoenix
- Pronunciation: fung
- Namesakes: Phuong Dung, a Vietnamese country singer.
- Popularity: Last listed in U.S. birth data in 2013 at #18,626, after a high of #1,409 in 1984. 1,033 births on record in all.
Ping
Ping means peace in its Sino-Vietnamese reading. Most Americans will know it from Disney’s Mulan before they know it as a traditional name, which is worth weighing. U.S. records list it only between 1976 and 1994, with ten births in total. Entrepreneur Ping Fu is a well-known contemporary bearer.
- Origin: Sino-Vietnamese
- Meaning: Peace
- Pronunciation: ping
- Namesakes: Ping Fu, a Chinese American entrepreneur and co-founder of 3M software.
- Popularity: Peaked in the U.S. at #10,427 in 1976 and was last listed in 1994 at #15,114, 10 births on record in all.
Qui
Qui means turtle, an animal Vietnamese children meet early through the story of the turtle that guards the country’s independence. In U.S. records it appeared only in the 1980s and early 1990s. The sound is kee, one beat, and the spelling is the sole obstacle. It is a quiet name with a stubborn creature behind it.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Turtle
- Pronunciation: kee
- Popularity: Last listed in U.S. birth data in 1992 at #9,467, after a high of #5,335 in 1983. 23 births on record in all.
Quy
Quy means precious, and it has gone more often to boys than girls in Vietnam. In American records it ran from 1980 to 2013. Filmmaker Kim Quy Bui carries it today. It works as well in the middle position as it does up front.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Precious
- Pronunciation: kih
- Namesakes: Kim Quy Bui, a Vietnamese filmmaker best known for her film The Inseminator.
- Popularity: Peaked in the U.S. at #4,406 in 1983 and was last listed in 2013 at #13,593, 111 births on record in all.
Quyeen
Quyeen means bird, one of several girl names meaning bird in Vietnamese. It is rare in Vietnam and has never appeared in U.S. birth records. The double e is unusual even by Vietnamese standards, so this is a name you will spell out. The meaning, though, is light and easy to explain.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Bird
- Pronunciation: kih-een
- Popularity: Not listed in U.S. birth data. The Social Security Administration only publishes a name once it reaches five births in a year.
Quynh
Quynh means deep red, a color read as lucky in Vietnam and the dominant one on its flag. Color-inspired names stay rare in the United States, and Quynh is no exception, though it was still listed in 2025. The sound, kih-n, is one beat and nothing like the spelling. It rewards a parent willing to correct people cheerfully.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Deep red
- Pronunciation: kih-n
- Popularity: Still on the U.S. charts: #9,322 in 2025 (11 births), against a high of #4,894 in 1981.
Sang
Sang means noble, which helps explain its reach as a popular name across many Asian cultures. It is given to boys and girls in Vietnam. U.S. records go back to 1929, with a best rank in 1985 and a last listing in 2024. English speakers will hear the past tense of sing first, a small tax on an otherwise clean name.
- Origin: Sino-Vietnamese
- Meaning: Noble
- Pronunciation: sahng
- Popularity: Last listed in U.S. birth data in 2024 at #12,110, after a high of #2,063 in 1985. 671 births on record in all.
Sen
Sen means lotus, and the lotus is Vietnam’s national flower, read as purity and resilience because it rises unstained out of muddy water (4). That image does a great deal of work for a three-letter name. In U.S. birth records Sen appears only sparsely, first in 1989 and last in 2024, with 43 births in total. If you want the flower without the formality of Lien, this is the version.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Lotus, purity
- Pronunciation: sin
- Popularity: Peaked in the U.S. at #7,738 in 1989 and was last listed in 2024 at #13,910, 43 births on record in all.
Suong
Suong means fog, an unusual thing to name a daughter after and a lovely one. In U.S. records it appeared in the 1980s and was last listed in 1990. The two beats, sue-ong, are softer than the spelling looks. It suits parents drawn to weather names who want to skip the obvious ones.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Fog
- Pronunciation: sue-ong
- Popularity: Last listed in U.S. birth data in 1990 at #12,765, after a high of #6,900 in 1985. 31 births on record in all.
Tai
Tai means prosperous and talented, handing a child both luck and ability. It is genuinely unisex in the United States, where roughly a third of the babies on record with the name are girls. It was still listed in 2025, though births are down about 27 percent on the previous decade. American records for it reach back to 1922.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Prosperous, talented
- Pronunciation: tie
- Popularity: Per the Social Security Administration: still on the U.S. charts: #2,536 in 2025 (53 births), against a high of #1,154 in 2003.
Tam
Tam means heart, the meaning parents reach for after that first ultrasound. It splits close to evenly between boys and girls in U.S. records, where it peaked in 1982 and was still listed in 2025. In the United States it is often a short form of Tamarah or Tamlyn rather than a name in its own right. Poet Tam Lenfesty carries it abroad.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Heart
- Pronunciation: tahm
- Namesakes: Tam Lenfesty, a Guernsey poet.
- Popularity: Ranked #13,669 in U.S. births in 2025, with 5 recorded that year. Its best showing was #1,408 in 1982.
Tanh
Tanh means bright blue. In Vietnam and several other cultures blue carries associations with calmness, hope, and trustworthiness, which suits a color name meant to be lived in. It has never appeared in U.S. birth data. The color symbolism carries more weight here than the syllable count.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Bright blue
- Pronunciation: tan
- Popularity: Too rare for U.S. federal data, which begins listing a name at five births in a year.
Tha’m
Tha’m means discreet grace, a compound idea English needs two words for. It is uncommon in Vietnam and unrecorded in American birth data. For a quiet name with a specific meaning, it is hard to improve on.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Discreet grace
- Pronunciation: TAHM
- Popularity: No U.S. ranking on record; the published SSA lists start at five births in a year.
Thao
Thao means respectful of parents, and filial respect sits near the center of Vietnamese family life. In U.S. records it peaked in 1984 and was last listed in 2017, with births down about a third on the previous decade. It is given to boys as well. The single beat, thow, rhymes with cow and gives English speakers no trouble.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Respectful of parents
- Pronunciation: thow
- Popularity: Peaked in the U.S. at #1,865 in 1984 and was last listed in 2017 at #18,216, 1,040 births on record in all.
Thi
Thi means poem. It also serves as the traditional middle name that marks a female name in Vietnamese documents, so many women carry it whether or not it is the name they answer to. As a given name in the United States it peaked in 1982 and was last listed in 2018. For a family of writers, the meaning is hard to pass up.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Poem
- Pronunciation: thee
- Popularity: Last listed in U.S. birth data in 2018 at #15,516, after a high of #4,019 in 1982. 408 births on record in all.
Thoai
Thoai is the goddess of water in Vietnamese mythology, which gives the name a specific figure rather than an abstract quality. It has never appeared in U.S. birth records. The two beats, tho-aye, take a moment to settle. If water births, coastlines, or rivers mean something to your family, this is the name that says so.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Goddess of water
- Pronunciation: tho-aye
- Popularity: No U.S. ranking on record; the published SSA lists start at five births in a year.
Thom
Thom means sweet smelling, and by extension pineapple. American readers will see the British spelling of Tom first, and the pronunciation, tow-m, is nothing like it. The name has a long U.S. record, first listed in 1917 and peaking in 1948, with a last appearance in 2021. That is a deeper American history than the spelling suggests.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Sweet smelling, pineapple
- Pronunciation: tow-m
- Popularity: Last listed in U.S. birth data in 2021 at #13,881, after a high of #1,398 in 1948. 844 births on record in all.
Thu
Thu means autumn, and it also carries the sense of a poem. Tet Trung Thu, the Mid-Autumn Festival, is widely celebrated in Vietnam, so the name lands with real seasonal weight. In U.S. records it peaked in 1983 and was last listed in 2018, though births are up about 23 percent on the previous decade. For a daughter due in the fall, the fit is obvious.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Autumn, poem
- Pronunciation: too
- Popularity: Peaked in the U.S. at #1,905 in 1983 and was last listed in 2018 at #9,110, 832 births on record in all.
Thuong Ngan
Thuong Ngan is the goddess of forests in Vietnamese mythology. It is a three-beat name that reads as ceremonial rather than casual, which is part of the appeal. It has never been listed in U.S. birth data. Nature-loving families will find few names with a clearer claim on the woods.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Goddess of the forests
- Pronunciation: too-ong nahn
- Popularity: No U.S. ranking on record; the published SSA lists start at five births in a year.
Thuy
Thuy means gentle, and the name sounds like its meaning. In U.S. records it peaked in 1983 and was last listed in 2015. The pronunciation, too-ee, is two beats rather than one, which is the usual correction. It is a soft name that never tips into fussy.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Gentle
- Pronunciation: too-ee
- Popularity: Peaked in the U.S. at #1,310 in 1983 and was last listed in 2015 at #18,877, 1,076 births on record in all.
Ti
Ti means very tiny, which is exactly what your daughter will be for a very short while. In Vietnam it turns up more often as a middle name than a first. U.S. records list it from 1977 to 2007, with 57 births in total. Two letters is about as compact as a name gets.
- Origin: Sino-Vietnamese
- Meaning: Very tiny
- Pronunciation: tee
- Popularity: Last listed in U.S. birth data in 2007 at #8,847, after a high of #5,786 in 1977. 57 births on record in all.
Tien
Tien means angel, fairy, or spirit, depending on how you read it. In U.S. records it peaked in 1981 and was still listed in 2025, though births are down about 43 percent on the previous decade. Nearly four in ten American bearers on record are girls, so it is shared rather than borrowed. The sound, tee-in, is soft and unfussy.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Angel, fairy, spirit
- Pronunciation: tee-in
- Popularity: Still on the U.S. charts: #6,412 in 2025 (14 births), against a high of #2,329 in 1981.
Trang
Trang means intelligent and beautiful, and it puts the intelligence first. In U.S. records it peaked in 1982 and was last listed in 2011. The sound, trong, lands in one firm beat. It is a name with more spine than the second half of its meaning suggests.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Intelligent, beautiful
- Pronunciation: trong
- Popularity: Last listed in U.S. birth data in 2011 at #16,617, after a high of #1,598 in 1982. 956 births on record in all.
Trang Chim
Trang Chim is a moon goddess in Vietnamese mythology, sometimes read as moon swan. It has never appeared in U.S. birth data. At two words it is a formal choice, and it shortens to Trang, which appears on this list in its own right. For families drawn to the moon, the mythology is the whole point.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Moon goddess, moon swan
- Pronunciation: trong-KIM
- Popularity: Too rare for U.S. federal data, which begins listing a name at five births in a year.
Trinh
Trinh means virgin, one of the virtue names Vietnamese parents have long favored. In U.S. records it peaked in 1982 and was last listed in 2015. The sound, ching, surprises English speakers every time. It is a soft name with an old-fashioned steadiness to it.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Virgin
- Pronunciation: ching
- Popularity: Last listed in U.S. birth data in 2015 at #12,923, after a high of #3,254 in 1982. 443 births on record in all.
Truc
Truc means bamboo, and bamboo stands for resilience in Vietnamese culture, right down to the legend of Saint Giong, who used it to drive off invaders. In U.S. records the name ran from 1980 to 2010. The pronunciation, chuwkp, is the sort that needs demonstrating rather than describing. Strength without heaviness is a rare combination in a name, and Truc manages it.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Bamboo
- Pronunciation: chuwkp
- Popularity: Peaked in the U.S. at #6,196 in 1983 and was last listed in 2010 at #19,646, 226 births on record in all.
Tu
Tu means star, and also elegant and outstanding, a generous spread for two letters. It is a beautiful name with a meaning that grows with a child rather than shrinking. In U.S. records it peaked in 1987 and was last listed in 2011. Roughly a quarter of American bearers on record are girls.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Star, elegant, beautiful, outstanding
- Pronunciation: TOO
- Popularity: Last listed in U.S. birth data in 2011 at #12,168, after a high of #2,329 in 1987. 313 births on record in all.
Tuyˆn
Tuy^n means ray, a single line of light. It is rare in Vietnam and has never appeared in U.S. birth records. The meaning has a piercing quality, like a ray of light, that suits a child you expect to be fearless.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Ray
- Pronunciation: too-een
- Popularity: No U.S. ranking on record; the published SSA lists start at five births in a year.
Tuyen
Tuyen means snow, an unexpected choice in a country that rarely sees any. That contrast is much of the charm: the name describes something imagined rather than observed. In U.S. records it appeared from 1980 and was last listed in 1999. For a daughter born in winter, it is a quiet way to mark the season.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Snow
- Pronunciation: too-yeen
- Popularity: Last listed in U.S. birth data in 1999 at #16,795, after a high of #4,519 in 1982. 160 births on record in all.
Tuyet
Tuyet means white, a color read in Vietnam as purity, youth, and renewal rather than as mourning, the way it is read in China. In U.S. records it peaked in 1983 and was last listed in 2009. The two beats, too-yet, are clean once you have heard them. It pairs naturally with Tuyen if you like the sound of both.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: White
- Pronunciation: too-yet
- Popularity: Peaked in the U.S. at #2,972 in 1983 and was last listed in 2009 at #17,153, 298 births on record in all.
Uoc
Uoc means wishes, which is exactly what a new parent has in surplus. It is rare everywhere and has never been listed in U.S. birth data. The sound, ooh-ahc, is one long beat that English speakers tend to shorten. The meaning is plain and hopeful, and it explains itself the moment you say it.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Wishes
- Pronunciation: ooh-ahc
- Popularity: No U.S. ranking on record; the published SSA lists start at five births in a year.
Ut
Ut means last, the traditional way to mark the youngest child in a family. If you have decided this is your final baby, the name says so with affection rather than finality. Elders are revered in Vietnamese culture, and there is a matching soft spot for the youngest. U.S. birth records have never listed it.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Last
- Pronunciation: uht
- Popularity: Not listed in U.S. birth data. The Social Security Administration only publishes a name once it reaches five births in a year.
Van
Van means cloud, the everyday sky rather than dramatic weather. It is the highest-ranked name on this list in current U.S. data, at #972 in 2025. Its American record reaches back to 1880 and peaked in 1946, so it has history here as well as in Vietnam. Only about one in twenty American bearers on record is a girl, so it will read as a boy’s name to many people. Going in with that knowledge is the whole trick.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Cloud
- Pronunciation: VUN
- Popularity: Per the Social Security Administration: ranked #972 in U.S. births in 2025, with 236 recorded that year. Its best showing was #265 in 1946.
Vie’t
Vie’t means to write, a natural pick for families who put a high value on storytelling. It has never been listed in U.S. birth records. If you hope for a daughter who writes her own story, the name is unusually literal about it.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: To write
- Pronunciation: vee-it
- Popularity: No U.S. ranking on record; the published SSA lists start at five births in a year.
Vinh
Vinh means glory, one of the bolder meanings on this list to hand a daughter. In U.S. records it peaked in 1983 and was still listed in 2025, though births are down about 47 percent on the previous decade. Nearly all of its American bearers on record are boys, which is worth knowing before you commit. Vin also works neatly as a nickname on its own.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Glory
- Pronunciation: vin
- Popularity: Ranked #4,529 in U.S. births in 2025, with 23 recorded that year. Its best showing was #1,204 in 1983.
Xuan
Xuan means springtime, and Vietnam marks the season with a run of colorful festivals. In U.S. records it peaked in 1981 and was last listed in 2019, with births up about 19 percent on the previous decade. The pronunciation, wahn, is the surprise here. For a daughter due in spring, it says the season without saying the word.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Springtime
- Pronunciation: wahn
- Popularity: Peaked in the U.S. at #4,958 in 1981 and was last listed in 2019 at #13,737, 242 births on record in all.
Ye’n
Ye’n means swallow bird. It is rare in Vietnam and abroad, and U.S. birth records have never listed it. Small birds make good namesakes for small people, and the meaning is easy to explain at any age.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Swallow bird
- Pronunciation: yan
- Popularity: No U.S. ranking on record; the published SSA lists start at five births in a year.
Yến
Yen means peace, and this entry keeps its Vietnamese diacritics while the rest of the list wears plain letters. It has never appeared in U.S. birth data. The sound, yin, is one soft beat. Decide in advance whether you will keep the accents, because American forms tend to strip them.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Peace
- Pronunciation: yin
- Popularity: Not listed in U.S. birth data. The Social Security Administration only publishes a name once it reaches five births in a year.
