A Chinese surname, the name Nguyen is from the Chinese term â€˜ruan.â€™ The word refers to a plucked string instrument. It was a family name for the Vietnamese royal dynasty. During the Tran Dynasty in the 11th to 13th centuries, many members of the Ly family of the prior dynasty changed their name to Nguyen to escape discrimination or arrest.
From China, the surname is Ruan and in Vietnam it is written Nguyen.
Other variations of the spelling include Yuen, Nyguyen, Ruan and Yuan.
The Nguyen surname is held by about 40 percent of all Vietnamese people. The surname is located in the United States, Australia (its seventh most common name), Laos and Malaysia.
Famous: Scotty Nguyen (professional poker player), Damien Nguyen (actor), Ho Chi Minh (was Nguyen Sinh Cung of Vietnam), Nguyen Trai (poet), Nguyen Van Thuan (clergy).