Vietnamese Boy Names

Vietnamese boys' names are usually short, often a single syllable, and chosen for a meaning that reflects the hopes a family holds for their son. Khang is linked to health and good fortune, Minh to brightness and intelligence, Vinh to glory and Huy to brilliance. Tam can mean heart or mind, and Thien points to heaven or the sky. These meanings rest on the full Vietnamese spelling, which uses marks to show tone.

In Vietnam the family name comes first, followed by a middle name and then the given name. Boys are called by that final given name, so it is the part friends and family use every day. Middle names have traditionally helped show that a name belongs to a boy, while several given names on this page, including An and Anh, are also used for girls.

Because the language is tonal, the same letters can carry different meanings depending on how they are said, and the marks that show this are usually dropped in English. If you are drawn to names like Khai, Quan, Thai or Nam, a Vietnamese speaker can tell you how the name is pronounced and which meaning it carries. That small check helps you choose a name that sounds right in both languages.