Vietnamese Last Names
Vietnam has one of the most concentrated surname systems in the world. About 38% of Vietnamese people are named Nguyễn, and roughly 14 family names cover around 90% of the population. Much of that comes from history: when a dynasty rose or fell, people adopted the ruling family’s name for protection or loyalty, which is why Trần, Lê and Nguyễn — all royal houses — top the list.
Here are 109 Vietnamese last names with their Sino-Vietnamese meanings, historical notes and the common spellings you’ll see in the US (often without diacritics, as in Nguyen or Tran). For given names, see Vietnamese boy names and Vietnamese girl names, or compare with Chinese last names, which share many of the same characters.
The most common Vietnamese last names
These surnames account for the overwhelming majority of Vietnamese people. Percentages are widely cited estimates, not an official census count.
| Surname | Meaning / character | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Nguyễn | An ancient lute; a historic state (阮) | About 38% of the population; the last royal dynasty (1802–1945). US spelling: Nguyen |
| Trần | To display, arrange (陳) | About 11%; the Trần dynasty repelled the Mongol invasions. US: Tran |
| Lê | Black; the multitude (黎) | About 9.5%; two royal dynasties. US: Le |
| Phạm | Model, pattern (范) | About 7%; very common in the north. US: Pham |
| Hoàng | Yellow; golden (黃) | About 5% together with Huỳnh. US: Hoang |
| Huỳnh | Southern form of Hoàng | Changed to avoid the personal name of Lord Nguyễn Phúc Hoàng. US: Huynh |
| Phan | To overflow (潘) | About 4.5%. US: Phan |
| Vũ | Martial, military (武) | About 3.9% together with Võ; common in the north. US: Vu |
| Võ | Southern form of Vũ | Popular in central and southern Vietnam. US: Vo |
| Đặng | The ancient state of Deng (鄧) | About 2%. US: Dang |
| Bùi | Surname Pei (裴) | About 2%. US: Bui |
| Đỗ | Birch-leaf pear tree (杜) | About 1.4%. US: Do |
| Hồ | Beard; “foreign” (胡) | About 1.3%; Hồ dynasty (1400–1407). US: Ho |
| Ngô | The ancient state of Wu (吳) | About 1.3%; Ngô Quyền founded independent Vietnam in 939. US: Ngo |
| Dương | Poplar tree (楊) | About 1%. US: Duong |
| Lý | Plum tree (李) | About 0.5%; the Lý dynasty built Hanoi. US: Ly |
Other common Vietnamese family names
Not in the top tier, but you’ll meet these surnames often in Vietnam and in Vietnamese-American communities.
| Surname | Meaning / character | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Đào | Pottery (陶) | Common in the north. US: Dao |
| Đoàn | Section, segment (段) | US: Doan |
| Vương | King (王) | Same character as Chinese Wang |
| Trương | To stretch, extend (張) | Same character as Chinese Zhang. US: Truong |
| Lâm | Forest (林) | Same character as Chinese Lin/Lam |
| Phùng | To gallop (馮) | Phùng Hưng led an 8th-century uprising |
| Mai | Apricot/plum blossom (梅) | Also a popular girl’s given name |
| Tô | To revive; perilla herb (蘇) | Short and distinctive |
| Hà | River; “what” (何) | US: Ha |
| Tạ | To thank (謝) | US: Ta |
| Lương | Beam, bridge (梁) | US: Luong |
| Lưu | Surname Liu (劉) | US: Luu |
| Cao | High, tall (高) | US: Cao |
| Châu | Circuit, region (周) | Also spelled Chau |
| Chu | Vermilion (朱) or circuit (周) | Northern variant of Châu in some families |
| Quách | Outer city wall (郭) | US: Quach |
| Thái | The ancient state of Cai (蔡) | US: Thai |
| Tăng | Surname Zeng (曾) | US: Tang |
| Kiều | Tall, lofty (喬) | US: Kieu |
| Hứa | To promise, allow (許) | US: Hua |
| La | Net, gauze (羅) | US: La |
| Lại | To rely on (賴) | US: Lai |
| Đàm | To talk, converse (譚) | US: Dam |
| Tống | The Song dynasty (宋) | US: Tong |
| Từ | Slow, calm (徐) | US: Tu |
| Văn | Literature (文) | Rare as a surname; usually a male middle name |
Royal and dynastic Vietnamese surnames
Some surnames trace directly to Vietnam’s ruling houses. The Nguyễn Phúc clan created special names for its branches, still used by their descendants.
| Surname | Meaning / character | History |
|---|---|---|
| Nguyễn Phúc | Nguyễn + “blessing” | The royal clan of the Nguyễn lords and emperors |
| Tôn Thất | Venerable house (尊室) | Male descendants of the Nguyễn lords |
| Tôn Nữ | Venerable daughter (尊女) | Female descendants of the Nguyễn royal house |
| Công Tằng Tôn Nữ | Great-granddaughter of the court | Used for later female branches of the royal family |
| Đinh | Nail; able-bodied man (丁) | Đinh Bộ Lĩnh founded the Đinh dynasty in 968 |
| Triệu | The ancient state of Zhao (趙) | Linked to the Triệu dynasty and heroine Bà Triệu |
| Mạc | “Do not” (莫) | The Mạc dynasty ruled 1527–1677 |
| Khúc | Melody; bend (曲) | The Khúc clan won self-rule from China around 905 |
| Trịnh | Solemn; the state of Zheng (鄭) | The Trịnh lords ruled northern Vietnam for two centuries |
Vietnamese surnames with nature meanings
Several surnames carry vivid natural images once you know their characters. Many are shared with Khmer Krom families in the Mekong Delta.
| Surname | Meaning / character | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Diệp | Leaf (葉) | Often Chinese-Vietnamese (Hoa) families. US: Diep |
| Giang | River (江) | Also a given name |
| Sơn | Mountain (山) | Common among Khmer Krom families |
| Thạch | Stone (石) | Common among Khmer Krom families |
| Kim | Gold, metal (金) | Used by Khmer Krom and some Kinh families |
| Bạch | White (白) | US: Bach |
| Hồng | Flood, vast (洪) | US: Hong |
| Hạ | Summer; the Xia dynasty (夏) | Rare |
| Khương | Ginger (姜) | Rare; US: Khuong |
| Tiêu | Mugwort, desolate (蕭) | Rare |
Rare and unusual Vietnamese last names
These surnames are uncommon in Vietnam today, which makes them interesting for genealogy — and a good source of distinctive unique last names for fiction.
| Surname | Meaning / character | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Âu | Surname Ou (歐) | Rare |
| Chung | Bell (鍾) | US: Chung |
| Doãn | Official, governor (尹) | US: Doan |
| Hầu | Marquis (侯) | Rare noble-sounding name |
| Khổng | Hole; Confucius’s surname (孔) | Some families claim descent from Confucius |
| Lục | Land (陸) | Rare |
| Ninh | Peace, tranquility (寧) | Also a province name |
| Nghiêm | Strict, stern (嚴) | US: Nghiem |
| Thân | To extend; ninth earthly branch (申) | Rare |
| Viên | Long robe; surname Yuan (袁) | Rare |
| Quan | Gate, mountain pass (關) | Also Chinese-Vietnamese |
| Ông | Old man, grandfather (翁) | Rare |
| Phó | Tutor, teacher (傅) | Rare |
| Thiều | Beautiful music (韶) | Rare |
| Hàn | The ancient state of Han (韓) | Same character as Korean Han |
| Lã | Surname Lü (呂) | Also spelled Lữ |
| Đồng | Surname Dong (董) | Rare |
| Mạnh | Eldest; Mencius’s surname (孟) | Rare |
| Nhan | Face, countenance (顏) | Rare |
| Phí | Expense, cost (費) | Rare |
| Phương | Square; direction (方) | Also a common given name |
| Trình | Rule, journey (程) | Rare |
| Vi | Leather (韋) | Found among Tày people too |
| Đường | The Tang dynasty (唐) | Rare |
| Ngụy | The ancient state of Wei (魏) | Rare |
| Ôn | Warm (溫) | Rare |
| Kha | Axe handle (柯) | Rare |
| Lư | Surname Lu (盧) | Rare |
| Mã | Horse (馬) | Often Chinese-Vietnamese families |
| Tần | The Qin dynasty (秦) | Rare |
| Tào | Surname Cao (曹) | Rare |
| Uông | Vast, deep water (汪) | Rare |
| Cam | Sweet (甘) | Rare |
| Đậu | Surname Dou (竇) | Common in Nghệ An province |
| Cù | Surname Qu (瞿) | Rare |
| Tiết | Surname Xue (薛) | Rare |
| Cung | Palace (宮) or respectful (龔) | Rare |
| Âu Dương | Compound surname Ouyang (歐陽) | One of the few two-syllable surnames |
| Hoàng Phủ | Compound surname Huangfu (皇甫) | Very rare |
Surnames of Vietnam’s ethnic minorities
Vietnam officially recognizes 54 ethnic groups. Many minority families use native surnames rather than Sino-Vietnamese ones.
| Surname | Community | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Nông | Tày and Nùng | Means “farmer” (農) in Sino-Vietnamese |
| Bế | Tày | Found in Cao Bằng and Lạng Sơn |
| Lò | Thái | Traditionally a noble Thái lineage in the northwest |
| Cầm | Thái | A historic chieftain family name |
| Lường | Thái | Common in Sơn La |
| Quàng | Thái | Northwestern highlands |
| Sầm | Tày | Rare |
| Đàng | Cham | Found in Ninh Thuận and Bình Thuận |
| Danh | Khmer Krom | Often used by Khmer men in the Mekong Delta |
Tips for researching or using Vietnamese last names
- Remember the order. The surname comes first: in Nguyễn Văn An, the family name is Nguyễn and the person is called An.
- Expect spelling changes abroad. Diacritics are usually dropped in the US, so Đặng becomes Dang and Võ becomes Vo. Search both forms in records.
- A shared surname doesn’t mean a shared family. Two Nguyễns are almost never related — use hometown (quê quán) and family registers (gia phả) instead.
- Look for regional variants. Hoàng/Huỳnh and Vũ/Võ split mostly along north–south lines, a clue to where an ancestor came from.
- Writing fiction? Mix a common surname with an unusual given name for realism; our last names hub has more surname lists to compare.
Frequently asked questions
Why do so many Vietnamese people have the last name Nguyễn?
Nguyễn was the surname of Vietnam’s last ruling dynasty. Over centuries, people adopted it to show loyalty, to receive favor, or to avoid persecution after earlier dynasties fell, and descendants of rewarded subjects kept it.
How do you pronounce Nguyen?
Close to “nwin” or “ngwin” in a single syllable, starting with the “ng” sound from the end of “sing.” Southern speakers often say something like “win.”
Do Vietnamese women take their husband’s last name?
No. Vietnamese women traditionally keep their own surname after marriage, and children normally take their father’s surname.
What are the 5 most common Vietnamese last names?
Nguyễn, Trần, Lê, Phạm and Hoàng (including its southern form Huỳnh) are the five most common Vietnamese surnames.
Are Vietnamese last names Chinese?
Most Vietnamese surnames are written with the same characters as Chinese surnames because of centuries of shared history, but they are pronounced the Vietnamese way and some, like Nguyễn, are far more common in Vietnam than in China.