Minh

♀ Girl

Pronounced MIN /ˈmɪn/Medium

Meaning: From the Vietnamese minh, 'bright, clear, brilliant, intelligent,' a word taken from the Chinese character meaning brightness. In Vietnam it is used for both sexes but leans male, as in Ho Chi Minh; we flag that lean honestly.Medium

In 30 seconds: A Vietnamese brightness name: Minh is 'bright, clear' (said 'MIN'). It leans male, which we note.

💕 Browse more names

Origin MediumVietnamese

MeaningFrom the Vietnamese minh, 'bright, clear, brilliant, intelligent,' a word taken from the Chinese character meaning brightness. In Vietnam it is used for both sexes but leans male, as in Ho Chi Minh; we flag that lean honestly.

U.S. rank (2018)#15061 ↘ Falling

2018 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1982

Total births (all-time)≈ 286

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

Minh is a Vietnamese name meaning 'bright, clear, brilliant, intelligent,' from the Sino-Vietnamese vocabulary that supplies much of Vietnamese given-name material. It works as a name on its own and as an element in longer names such as Minh Anh and Quang Minh; the best-known bearer is Ho Chi Minh. In Vietnamese use it is unisex but leans male, and we flag that lean honestly. It is one syllable, and English speakers usually say it as MIN (said 'MIN').

It appears only in very small numbers in the U.S. Rare, brief, and Vietnamese.

Did you know? Minh is one of the commonest elements in Vietnamese names - it simply means bright or clear, and it turns up in the name of Ho Chi Minh, 'he who enlightens.'

Overall data confidence 55%

References - Minh — Vietnamese minh 'bright, clear'; Sino-Vietnamese; Ho Chi Minh

Variations

MinMihnMing

Nicknames

MinhMimiMin

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Minh…

Linh— a like one-beat Vietnamese name

Mai— a like short Vietnamese girls' name

Anh— a like unisex Vietnamese pick

Quynh— shares Minh's Vietnamese roots

Minhanh— lands in the same popularity range

Explore names like Minh

By themeshort cross-sex unisex-lean-boy vietnamese

By meaningLight Truth

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Minh mean?

Minh is Vietnamese for 'bright, clear, intelligent'; it is unisex in Vietnam but leans male, which we flag honestly.

How do you pronounce Minh?

It's said MIN /ˈmɪn/ - one syllable, stress on the first.

Is Minh a boy or girl name?

Minh is used for both in Vietnam, but leans male - we flag the lean honestly.

How popular is Minh?

Minh is extremely rare in the U.S.