Vietnamese culture is full of many beautiful names for girls. Common Vietnamese baby names take inspiration from flowers, animals, or desirable qualities and attributes, such as morality and serenity. In this culture, it is common practice to first display the child's family name followed by a middle name and then the given name. While the given name comes last, it is no less important in Vietnamese naming practices.
Popular Vietnamese Girl Names
Many Vietnamese female names have different meanings depending on the word's pronunciation. These common names sound lovely and are packed with meaning.
- Bian - Secretive
- Binh - Peaceful
- Cai - Female or feminine
- Cais - Rejoicing person
- Canh - Scenery
- Diep - Nature lover
- Dông - Winter
- Dung - Beautiful
- Duyen - A graceful, charming woman
- Giang - River
- Hanh - Beautiful and moral
- Hien - Gentle and quiet
- Khuyen - Give advice
- Kiêu - Graceful, beloved, pretty - from the book A Tale of Kieu
- Lang - Sweet potato
- Lanh - Gentle, happy
- Linh - Gentle spirit or soul
- Minh - Clever, intelligent person
- My-Duyen - Beautiful
- Mychau - Great
- Ngon - Good communication
- Nguyen - Sleep
- Nhung - Like velvet
- Phúc - Happiness, good fortune
- Ping - Peace
- Quang - Pure
- Quyen - Bird
- Sang - Upper-class person; from the nobility
- Suong - Fog
- Tham - Graceful, discrete woman
- Thang - Victorious
- Thanh - Bright and sunny or a pleasing voice
- Thao - Kind and sweet, obedient to parents
- Thom - Smelling sweet, or pineapple
- Thuong - A tender, loving person
- Thuy - Gentle
- Trang - Intelligent or serious
- Trieu - A small wave, or the tide
- Trinh - Pure, chaste, virtuous; virgin
- Truc - Wish
- Tuyen - Snow
- Tuyet - Fair-skinned girl; "skin like snow" or snowing
- Vinh - Glory
- Xuân - Spring (season)
Cute Vietnamese Baby Girl Names
These names are short and adorable choices for parents searching for Vietnamese names scant in length but big on the cuteness factor. With no more than three letters, they are all easy to pronounce, yet they all still retain significant meaning within them.
- Ái - Sentimental love
- Am - Female moon or female associated with the moon
- An - Peace and safety
- Anh - Intelligent
- Bê - Doll
- Ha - Sunshine, "kiss of life," or river
- Hai - Ocean, sea, or alive
- Han - Moral, faithful
- Hao - Perfect, good
- Hau - Wishful
- Lan - Coming from Chinese mountain mists and orchids
- My - Pretty
- Nhi - Tiny one
- Nhu - Gentle, peaceful
- Nu - Girl
- Qu'y - Precious
- Tai - Talented, prosperous
- Tam - Heart
- Tan - New, chaste
- Thi - Poetry
- Tho - Woman with long life
- Thu - Poem or autumn
- Ut - Last
- Vân - Cloud
- Yê'n - Swallow (bird)
- Yên - Peace
Beautiful Vietnamese Names Based on Gems and Colors
Many Vietnamese girl names and meanings come from precious stones commonly found in the country, such as jade and pearls. These names draw from gemstones and colors that are meaningful in Vietnamese culture.
- Bich - Jade
- Cam - Orange (the fruit) or a mountain sunset
- Cara - Precious jewel
- Chau - Pearls
- Hong - Rose (color) or pink
- Huyên - Black; reflective black
- Hyunh - Yellow or golden
- Khanh - Precious stone
- Kim - Golden or gold
- Kim-ly - Golden lion
- Lam - Dense forest or a dark blue color
- Lê - Pearl
- Ngoc - Jade or a precious stone
- Ngoc Bich - Precious jade
Vietnamese Names for Girls From Flowers and Trees
Nature names are common in so many cultures worldwide, Vietnam included. Flowers are cherished in Vietnamese culture, and it's often common practice to name children after different types of flowers, plants, and trees.
- Chi - Tree branch
- Cuc - Chrysanthemum
- Dao - Peach blossom flower
- Diêp - Tree with red leaves
- Hanh - Apricot tree, also upright or happy
- Hoa - Type of flower
- Hue - Flower
- Huong - Flower perfume
- Huong - Rose (flower) or pink
- Hwa - Flower
- Kim Cuc - Yellow chrysanthemum
- Lan - Orchid or magnolia
- Liên - Lotus (the national flower)
- Liêu - Willow tree
- Mai - Cherry or apricot blossom, or plum flower
- Sen - Lotus, also a symbol of purity
- Thuy - Pussy willow, also friendly and gentle
- Truc - Bamboo
Vietnamese Names From Mythology
Mythologically inspired baby names are also frequently utilized in Vietnamese culture. Some of these Vietnamese baby girl names reference mythical creatures, while others are inspired by great Vietnamese goddesses and folk heroines.
- Âu Co - Fairy princess who was the Great Mother of Vietnam
- Den - Ba Den is the "Black Lady" who protects people from danger and illness
- Kho - Ba Chua Kho is the goddess of the marketplace
- Hang - Full moon with an angel
- Liêu Hanh - Goddess of the sky and lightning; one of three "Holy Mothers"
- Loan - A mythical lucky bird from the Chinese, also means wife
- Long - Dragon, one of the "four sacred creatures"
- Ly - Lion, one of the "four sacred creatures"
- Mat Ga Trong - Sun goddess
- Nguyêt - Goddess of the moon or the moon
- Phuong - Phoenix, one of the "four sacred creatures"; also means direction
- Qui - Turtle, one of the "four sacred creatures"
- Thien - Heavenly
- Thoai - Goddess of water; one of three "Holy Mothers"
- Thuong Ngàn - Goddess of the forests, agriculture, cooking, and childbirth; one of three "Holy Mothers"
- Tiên - Angel or fairy
- Trang Chim - Moon goddess or "moon swan"
- Trung Nhi - Sister to Trung Trac, these sisters rebelled against the Chinese around AD 39 and are folk heroines
- Trung Trac - Sister to Trung Nhi; she led the rebellion against the Chinese
- Xu - Ba Chua Xu is the goddess protector of refugees
Vietnamese Middle Names for Baby Girls
Vietnamese middle names often reflect one of the following:
- A name differentiating between generations. For example, all siblings within a single generation might share the same middle name, setting them apart from past or future generations having other middle names.
- A middle name that offers a poetic or positive meaning (more of a modern-day naming tradition).
The most common Vietnamese middle name for girls is "Thi."
Vietnamese Nicknames for Girls
The Vietnamese people utilize nicknames for children just as many other cultures do. Common nicknames tend to be short and cute sounding in nature.
- Bô Bô - Often the sound an infant first makes
- Em - Big sister
- Heo - Means "pig" in Southern Vietnamese dialect
- Mèo - Cat
- Tí - Little or tiny
- Tit - Small eyes
It is also common practice in Vietnamese culture to add an adjective to a child's first name to create a nickname. An example of this practice is Trang trọc. Trang is the child's first name, while trọc means "not much hair."
Hence, a parent gives their child the name and nickname "Trang trọc" to highlight the fact that their child Trang had little hair.
Finding a Perfect Vietnamese Name for a Girl
Vietnamese girl names have a lovely, rich quality and contain impactful meanings and concepts. Make sure you find a name for your baby girl that fits with your family culture and emulates things you love, whether that's beautiful flowers, precious gemstones, or specific character traits. Choose a name that speaks to your soul and makes you smile. If a name does both of these things, it is the perfect name for your baby.
