Table of Sino-Vietnamese pronunciation to write names

Update: July 2026

Reference Table for Translating Vietnamese Names to Chinese (Hán ngữ) Characters. For use in profiles, namecards, registration forms, subtitles — not a replacement for passports/legal documents. Transliterations are based on common conventions; the same Vietnamese name may have multiple Chinese translations.

Maintained by Phạm Xuân Hiếu on XuanHieu.org. Related: Free Vietnamese Fonts, Digital Resources.

How to Use This Table

1. Determine the surname and given name (e.g., Nguyễn · Văn · An).
2. Look up each part in the common surname/table.
3. Combine in the order of surname–given name (usually keeping the Vietnamese order) or in the Chinese format (surname first).
4. For official documents: prioritize the writing style used on previous documents/systematic pinyin of the receiving agency.

Common Vietnamese Surnames → Chinese Characters / Pinyin Suggestions

Vietnamese Surname	Common Chinese Characters	Pinyin (Reference)
Nguyễn	阮	Ruǎn
Trần	陈 / 陳	Chén
Lê	黎	Lí
Phạm	范	Fàn
Hoàng / Huỳnh	黄 / 黃	Huáng
Phan	潘	Pān
Vũ / Võ	武	Wǔ
Đặng	邓 / 鄧	Dèng
Bùi	裴	Péi
Đỗ	杜	Dù
Hồ	胡	Hú
Ngô	吴 / 吳	Wú
Dương	杨 / 楊	Yáng
Lý	李	Lǐ
Đinh	丁	Dīng

Common Middle/First Names

Vietnamese Name	Suggested Chinese Characters	Pinyin	Notes
Văn	文	Wén	Common male middle name
Thị	氏	Shì	Female middle name; some modern forms omit
Hữu	友 / 有	Yǒu	Depending on context
Minh	明	Míng
Anh	英	Yīng
Hùng	雄	Xióng
Dũng	勇	Yǒng
Tuấn	俊	Jùn
Hoa	花 / 华	Huā / Huá	Choose according to desired meaning
Lan	兰 / 蘭	Lán
Hương	香	Xiāng
Phương	芳 / 方	Fāng
An	安	Ān
Bình	平	Píng
Thành	成	Chéng
Quang	光	Guāng
Hiếu	孝 / 晓	Xiào / Xiǎo	Multiple choices for meaning
Xuân	春	Chūn

Examples of Combining Names

• Nguyễn Văn An → 阮文安 (Ruǎn Wén Ān)
• Trần Thị Hương → 陈氏香 / 陈香 (depending on whether “Thị” is kept)
• Phạm Xuân Hiếu → 范春孝 / 范春晓 (choose the meaning of Hiếu that fits)
• Lê Minh Anh → 黎明英 / 黎明英

Important Notes

• There is no absolute “correct” Chinese character for Vietnamese names; many names only have community conventions.
• For travel documents/visas: follow the guidelines of the issuing agency — usually use Latin names without accents matching the passport.
• Do not use this table to create fake documents or impersonate others.

FAQ

Is there an API for lookup? This page is a high-speed static table for common names; for rare names, it’s best to ask a native speaker or use a specialized dictionary.

Should I use simplified or traditional characters? Mainland China: simplified; Taiwan/HK/traditional communities: traditional.

Should I use non-accented names for SEO/domain? Use consistent non-accented Latin names (e.g., pham-xuan-hieu).

About this page: Reference resource by Phạm Xuân Hiếu. See also free Vietnamese fonts and digital resources.