Tou

♂ Boy

Pronounced TOO /ˈtuː/Medium

Meaning: Tou is a Hmong given name, widely used as a boys' name and name element among Hmong people. It appears in American records chiefly with the Hmong community that resettled in the United States from the late nineteen-seventies onward, following the war in Southeast Asia.Low

In 30 seconds: Tou is a Hmong boys' name, common among Hmong-American families who resettled in the U.S. from the late 1970s (said 'TOO'). It peaked around 1990.

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Origin MediumHmong

MeaningTou is a Hmong given name, widely used as a boys' name and name element among Hmong people. It appears in American records chiefly with the Hmong community that resettled in the United States from the late nineteen-seventies onward, following the war in Southeast Asia.

U.S. rank (2015)#11954 ↗ Rising

2015 U.S. births6 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1990

Total births (all-time)≈ 1,254

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

Tou is a Hmong given name, borne by boys and used as a common name element in Hmong families. It enters the American record with the Hmong community that came to the United States as refugees after the conflicts in Laos and Vietnam, from the late nineteen-seventies onward, and it reflects that heritage rather than a Western root.

Tou was most common in American records around 1990, tracking the young Hmong-American generation of that time, and has grown less frequent since as naming patterns shifted across generations. It remains a meaningful heritage name within the Hmong-American community.

Did you know? Tou's presence in American birth records traces the arrival of Hmong refugees from Laos and the surrounding region beginning in the late nineteen-seventies, part of a distinct Hmong-American naming tradition.

Overall data confidence 55%

References — Tou — Hmong given name; Hmong-American cohort post-1975

Variations

TouaTong

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Tou…

Xai— lands in the same popularity range

Mung— another Hmong name

Kong— lands in the same popularity range

Kao— lands in the same popularity range

Keomani— a fellow Hmong choice

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By themeheritage hmong

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Tou mean?

Tou is a Hmong given name for boys, common as a name and name element within Hmong-American families.

How do you pronounce Tou?

It's said TOO /ˈtuː/ — one syllable.

Is Tou a boy or girl name?

Tou is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Tou?

Tou is an uncommon name overall in the U.S., borne mainly within the Hmong-American community and most frequent around the turn of the nineteen-nineties.