The funny thing about Vietnamese names

One of the stories I'm writing in the Philippines is about a community of 2,000 Vietnamese who have been living on the archipelago without any legal status -- for the last 17 years. Many are being resettled to the U.S. and volunteers are working in Manila to help as many get as out as possible.

They're doing lots of interviews with the asylum seekers to get their personal stories and family histories, including mapping family trees.
They shared with me some hilarious stories about names.

Most Vietnamese parents choose their children's names very carefully to bring good luck and harmony to their family. Many select names that they hope their child will live up to, such as Thanh (accomplished) or Hung (heroic, strong). The crude translation for my name, Kieu Oanh, is pretty bird.

On the other hand, peasants, the unimaginative and folks without much education sometimes give their kids really simple names after everyday objects and things. Some do so to ward off evil spirits too.

One guy's name is Nhay, or "jump." His wife, Giay -- "rope."

Another fellow came in and filled out his family tree. His grandparents had 11 kids and they named the kids -- I kid you not -- A, B, C, D, E, F, G....His father, in turn, named his kids One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven. Imagine a family gathering, kinda like playing battleship. C-4!