Kieu

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Kieu

Pronounced KYOO /ˈkjuː/Low

Meaning: Kieu is a Vietnamese girl's name carrying the sense of grace, beauty, and delicate charm. It is deeply tied to The Tale of Kieu, the beloved early-nineteenth-century epic poem by Nguyen Du whose devoted, long-suffering heroine, Thuy Kieu, made the name a byword for beauty and sacrifice in Vietnamese culture.Low

In 30 seconds: Kieu is a rare girl's name in the United States, a Vietnamese name meaning 'graceful, beautiful,' famous from the epic The Tale of Kieu. It is said KYOO.

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Origin MediumVietnamese

MeaningKieu is a Vietnamese girl's name carrying the sense of grace, beauty, and delicate charm. It is deeply tied to The Tale of Kieu, the beloved early-nineteenth-century epic poem by Nguyen Du whose devoted, long-suffering heroine, Thuy Kieu, made the name a byword for beauty and sacrifice in Vietnamese culture.

U.S. rank (2002)#16854 ↘ Falling

2002 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1983

Total births (all-time)≈ 145

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Kieu is treasured in Vietnamese culture through The Tale of Kieu, the country's best-loved narrative poem, whose heroine endures great hardship with grace. Vietnamese families who resettled in the United States brought the name with them, keeping its literary and cultural weight.

It appears in United States records mainly from the early nineteen-eighties, reaching its small peak in the middle of that decade among Vietnamese refugee and immigrant families before easing off. A woman named Kieu from that peak is now in her early forties, a name of the post-war Vietnamese-American community.

Did you know? The Tale of Kieu is so central to Vietnamese literature that its heroine's name, Kieu, stands almost as a national symbol of beauty and steadfast devotion.

Overall data confidence 50%

References - Kieu — Vietnamese Kieu, 'graceful/beautiful'; heroine of The Tale of Kieu (Nguyen Du); handled respectfully; plain-Latin TTS-safe respelling; peak mid-1980s.

Variations

KieuKiu

Nicknames

Kieu

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Kieu…

Thao— a like Vietnamese girl's name

Trang— a comparable Vietnamese name

Linh— shares the Vietnamese heritage and sound

Mai— another short Vietnamese girl's name

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By themerare literary vietnamese beauty

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Kieu mean?

It is a Vietnamese name meaning 'graceful, beautiful, dainty,' famous as the name of the heroine of Vietnam's classic epic The Tale of Kieu.

How do you pronounce Kieu?

It is said KYOO /ˈkjuː/.

Is Kieu a boy or girl name?

Kieu is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Kieu?

It was always rare in the United States, given to only about fourteen girls even at its peak in the middle nineteen-eighties, chiefly among Vietnamese families.