Female names in Vietnam: A list of 100 MOST common names with meanings

Contents

Female names in Vietnam feature the nation’s cultural characteristics (Source: Collected)

During your Vietnam travel, you may happen to meet ladies who have the same names. Female names in Vietnam often convey special meaning. This article will get you covered with the naming practices in Vietnam, the structure of Vietnam women’s names, the most common names, and their meanings.

1. What is the structure of female names in Vietnam?

1.1. Naming practices in Vietnam

Names have always been regarded as one of the most valuable treasures given to an individual. The way a person is named is different from culture to culture. 

Regarding naming practice in Vietnam, an unofficial name used to be given to a newborn after birth, while there would be an official name for them when they get to school. 

Vietnamese people used to have a practice of giving their kids offensive names in an effort to ward off misfortune or worse. This tradition is believed to have its roots in Chinese culture. Even though this naming custom is generally no longer present in Vietnam, a few cases can still be found in rural areas. 

Another practice when naming both male and female names in Vietnam is name avoidance. This custom has its origins in the feudal era of Vietnam, when all names had to be different from those of the royal families, deities, and one’s own ancestors.

Vietnamese kids often have an unofficial name to be called at home (Source: Collected)

1.2. Structure of female names in Vietnam

What about the linguistic features of female names in Vietnam? Generally, Vietnamese women name follow the same structure as men’s. It starts with a family name and ends with a given name. The middle name is placed between the two. 

The typical structure of local female names in Vietnam: 

[FAMILY NAME] + [MIDDLE NAME] + [GIVEN NAME]

Example: Nguyen Thi Hoa

• Nguyen: Family name
• Thi: Middle name
• Hoa: Given name 

Nowadays, some female names in Vietnam do not contain a middle name. However, having one or even two middle names is still more common. 

1.3. “Thị” in female names in Vietnam

Regarding gender in personal names, “thị” is the most popular middle name in female names of Vietnam while “văn” is commonly used for males’. This naming custom is said to have originated in the feudal era, when the male-dominance mindset was common. The middle name “thị” in Vietnam female names was borrowed from Chinese.

Male and female names in Vietnam today rarely contain the word “văn” or “thị” as they did in the past, together with the decline in gender inequality in modern Vietnamese society.

“Thị” was a common middle name of women in Vietnam (Source: Collected)

2. Top 100 female names in Vietnam with the corresponding explanation

Normally, Vietnamese people address others by their given names. The followings are the list of Vietnam female names and their meanings.

• Ái – beloved
• An – peace
• Anh – intelligent
• Ánh – sparkling
• Bé – baby
• Bích – jade
• Bình – calm
• Châu – pearl
• Chi – a tree
• Chinh – tenacious, determined
• Cúc – chrysanthemums
• Đan – sincere
• Đào – peach blossom
• Diệp – leaf
• Điệp – butterfly
• Diệu – beautiful
• Dịu – gentle, tender
• Dương – sea
• Dung – generous
• Duyên – graceful, charming

Given name in Vietnamese female names often have a beautiful meaning (Source: Collected)

• Giang – river
• Hà – river
• Hạ – summer
• Hải – ocean
• Hân -joyful, jubilant
• Hằng – moon
• Hạnh – moral
• Hiền – gentle, quiet
• Hoa – flower
• Hòa – nice, calm
• Hoài – awaiting
• Hồng – rose
• Hợi – pig, one of the common female names in Vietnam that indicates the year of birth
• Huệ – lily flower
• Hương – scent
• Hường – pink rose
• Huyền – dark 
• Khánh – cheerful, happy
• Khuyên – gentle, elegant
• Kiều – graceful, pretty
• Kim – metal
• Lam – blue
• Lan – orchid flower
• Lành – peaceful, safe
• Lê – pear
• Lệ – tear
• Liên – lotus flower
• Liễu – venereal flower
• Linh – little bell, which brings luck and fortune
• Loan – phoenix
• Ly – lily flower
• Mai – yellow apricot flower
• Mây – cloud
• Minh – smart
• Mỹ – beautiful, lovely
• Na – gentle, girly
• Như – gentle, tender
• Nhung – velvet
• Nga – beautiful, kind
• Ngân – money, precious thing
• Ngọc – jade, gem
• Nguyệt – moon
• Nữ – girl
• Oanh – lovely, gentle
• Phụng – phoenix
• Phương – direction
• Phượng – phoenix
• Quế – cinnamon
• Quý – precious
• Quyên – acredula trivirgata – a precious bird in Asian culture
• Quỳnh – night blooming cereus flower
• Sen – lotus flower
• Sương – fog
• Tâm – heart
• Thắm – charming, full of love
• Thanh – bright blue
• Thảo – respectful to parents
• Thi – poem
• Thơ – poem
• Thơm – fragrant, aromatic

Female names in Vietnam are often inspired by flowers, birds, and beautiful traits of women (Source: Collected)

• Thu – autumn
• Thương – love
• Thúy – beautiful, noble
• Thùy – loving, gentle
• Tiên – angel
• Trà – tea
• Trang – gracious, gentle
• Trinh – virgin
• Trúc – bamboo
• Tú – star, beautiful, outstanding
• Tuyền – river
• Tuyết – snow
• Út – the youngest child in the family
• Uyên – charming, smart, beautiful
• Vân – cloud
• Vinh – magnificent, glory
• Vy – lovely, cute
• Xuân – spring
• Yên – peaceful, tranquil
• Yến – canary

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VinKE & Vinpearl Aquarium in Hanoi

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Impressive Vietnamese performances at VinWonders Nam Hoi An

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VinWonders Nha Trang

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VinWonders Phu Quoc

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Female names in Vietnam reflect the social and cultural traits of Vietnamese societies. Hopefully, you will have a clearer understanding of how Vietnamese people address a woman after reading this article on the structures and meanings of Vietnamese female names.

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