Why do Vietnamese have the Nguyen surname at 40 percent?

[Daisy]

Couldn't they add something else to the repertoire?  40 percent of Vietnamese have this last name.  Is this a demonstration of anti-creativity or proof that Vietnamese pretty much all got loved by this one Nguyen Vietnamese emperor?

[Clan Wars]

It's a Clan name.  You can switch clans and change your Clan name base on loyalty. You don't play World of Warcraft? I am surprised, an unemployed nerd burger doesn't know what a clan is.

[Daisy]

It's a Clan name.  You can switch clans and change your Clan name base on loyalty. You don't play World of Warcraft? I am surprised, an unemployed nerd burger doesn't know what a clan is.

You sound serious.  Makes sense that Vietnamese culture is based off of clans and playing crappy games nobody cares about, geeking out.  I've finally found the reason why so many Vietnamese look like goofballs, because they are.

[oRANGE_jUICE]

tHAT's because uS flatlanders are survivors!
wE always follow the pOWERFUL!
lIKE now we will fOLLOW tHE aLMIGHTY uSA!
eVEN after they loveD and kILLED many of uS during the aMERICAN wAR!
wE are a nATION oF survivors!
wE hAVE thick hides!

[gaden]

My uncle said Vietnamese only have seven last names:

Le, Pham, Tran, Vu, Do, Dinh, Nguyen.


Vietnamese should not have the last name of Mac because it's Western, like MacDonalds.

[CoconutXO]

Nguyen stems from the Chinese word ruan (a string instrument that is plucked).

In Vietnam, the family name Nguyen is connected to the royal dynasties. It is said that during the Tran Dynasty (1225–1400), many members of the Ly family of the prior dynasty changed their name to Nguyen to avoid persecution.

The Nguyen family had a place of prominence as early as the 16th century, but they would rule during the last of the dynasties. The Nguyen Dynasty lasted from 1802 until 1945, when Emperor Bao Dai abdicated.

By some estimates, approximately 40 percent of Vietnamese people have the surname Nguyen. It is, without a doubt, the most common Vietnamese family name.

Nguyen can be used as a first name as well as a surname. Also, keep in mind that in Vietnamese it is traditional for the surname to be used before an individual's given name.

The prevalence of Nguyen can be traced way back to the 1200’s when Tran clan leader and general Tran Thu Ðo forced the descendants of the Lý to change their surname to Nguyen after the Lý Dynasty was overthrown from power.

In 1400, Ho Quý Ly overturned the Tran Dynasty, established himself as emperor building the Ho Dynasty. When it itself collapsed in 1407, in fear of retribution, many of Ho descendants changed their surname to Nguyen.

The same thing happened in 1592, upon the collapse of the Mac Dynasty, and in 1802, when the Nguyen Dynasty (the descendants of the Nguyen Lords) took power. While others fled to China, most of the Vietnamese change their surnames to Nguyen.

During its reign, the Nguyen Dynasty awarded many people the surname Nguyen.

Other surnames:

Phan Thanh Gian
Ngo Quyen
Vo Thi Sau
La Thoai Tan
Che Linh
Ut Tra On
Phùng Hưng
Bui Khiem
Ho Quy Ly



Ly Kim Huong