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Chau
How to Pronounce Chau
Pronounced CHOW /ΛtΚaΚ/Medium
Meaning: Chau is a Vietnamese name, Chau, meaning 'pearl' or 'precious gem.' It is a graceful and common given name for girls in Vietnam, carrying the sense of something rare and treasured.Medium
Popularity in the U.S. Β· SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880βpresent). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Chau is a Vietnamese girl's name meaning 'pearl' or 'gem.' It entered United States birth records in the mid-1970s, as families resettled after the Vietnam War brought many Vietnamese names into American use. Chau first appears around 1975 and touched a small high around 1980, with continued use into the 2020s.
It was never common in the United States, given to only a couple dozen girls a year even at its peak. It remains a beloved, everyday name in Vietnam, and here it reads as a heritage name honoring Vietnamese roots.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Chau mean?
It is Vietnamese for 'pearl' or 'precious gem.'
How do you pronounce Chau?
It's said CHOW /ΛtΚaΚ/, one syllable rhyming with 'now.'
Is Chau a boy or girl name?
Chau is used here as a girl's name; in Vietnam it is chiefly a girls' name.
How popular is Chau?
It has always been rare in the United States, given to only a couple dozen girls a year at its peak.