Nguyễn
[ŋwiən˦ˀ˥]
The family name 'nguyen' is written Nguyễn in Vietnamese, with diacritics on the last vowel.
Nguyễn is a Vietnamese family name. It is the most common surname in Vietnam, held by about 40% of the population.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Vietnamese naming order the family name Nguyễn comes first, before the given name. This is the reverse of the usual English order.
What mistakes should you avoid?
When writing the name in Vietnamese, keep the diacritics. Writing it without them is common in English, but in Vietnamese the marks are part of the spelling.
When do people say it?
Because so many people share the surname Nguyễn, Vietnamese speakers usually address and refer to people by their given name rather than by their family name.
Did you know?
- The prevalence of Nguyễn is partly due to a historical custom where people changed their surnames to that of the ruling dynasty to show loyalty or avoid persecution during periods of political upheaval.
- When typing on a standard English keyboard, many Vietnamese people use a specific shorthand to represent the diacritics of Nguyễn, such as using 'w' or 'j' to reach the necessary tone marks.
- The surname Nguyễn traces back to the ancient Chinese state of 阮 (Ruǎn), which existed long before Vietnam was a unified nation.
Examples in context
- Tôi tên là Nguyễn Văn Nam.My name is Nguyễn Văn Nam.
- Cô ấy họ Nguyễn.Her family name is Nguyễn.
- Gia đình ông Nguyễn rất đông đúc.Mr. Nguyễn's family is very large.
Example conversation
Two students are introducing themselves in class.
- HươngChào bạn, mình tên là Hương.Hello, my name is Huong.
- MinhChào Hương, mình là Nguyễn Minh.Hello Huong, I am Nguyen Minh.
- HươngHọ Nguyễn là họ rất phổ biến.Nguyen is a very common surname.
- MinhĐúng vậy, rất nhiều người họ Nguyễn.That's true, many people have the Nguyen surname.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Nguyễn, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Nguyễn, CC BY-SA 4.0.
