Binh
A Vietnamese masculine name meaning "peaceful".
Name Census estimates that about 507 living Americans carry the first name Binh. It is a predominantly male name (92.8% of registrations). The average person named Binh today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Binh births was 1984 (34 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Binh. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
507
~ 1 in 676,044 Americans
Peak year
1984
34 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
2021 SSA rank
#12,392
Tracked since 1975
Gender
Gender distribution for Binh
Binh leans heavily male at 92.8% of total registrations, but 38 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Binh as a male name
- Ranked #12,392 in 2021
- 5 male births in 2021
- Peak: 1984 (27 births)
Binh as a female name
- Ranked #13,709 in 1993
- 5 female births in 1993
- Peak: 1988 (10 births)
Popularity
Binh: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Binh from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 240 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Binh by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Binh during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Binhs live
Origin
Meaning and history of Binh
The name Binh originated from Vietnam and has its roots in the Vietnamese language. It emerged during the medieval period, likely between the 10th and 15th centuries, when Vietnam was heavily influenced by Chinese culture and the Vietnamese language adopted various Chinese characters and their pronunciations.
Binh is derived from the Chinese character 平, which means "peace," "calm," or "tranquil." This character was adopted into the Vietnamese language and pronounced as "Binh." The name's meaning reflects the Vietnamese cultural values of harmony, balance, and inner peace.
In the 15th century, a prominent Vietnamese monk named Binh Ngo Dai Lao was known for his teachings on mindfulness and meditation. He played a significant role in spreading Buddhist philosophy throughout Vietnam during this period.
Another historical figure with the name Binh was Binh Nguyen Hoan, a military commander who lived in the 10th century during the reign of the Ngo dynasty. He was renowned for his strategic skills and contributed to the defense of Vietnam against Chinese invasions.
In the 19th century, a notable Vietnamese scholar and poet named Binh Ngo Tan was celebrated for his literary works, which often explored themes of nature, love, and the human condition.
During the 20th century, Binh Xuyen was the name of a powerful criminal organization based in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City). The group played a significant role in the political and social landscape of Vietnam during the mid-20th century.
One of the most famous individuals with the name Binh in recent times was Binh Nguyen, a South Vietnamese military officer and politician. He served as the Prime Minister of South Vietnam from 1965 to 1967 during the Vietnam War.
While the name Binh has its roots in ancient Vietnamese culture and history, it has continued to be a popular name in modern times, reflecting the enduring values of peace, calmness, and tranquility that it represents.
People
Binh + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Binh as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Binh: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Binh?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 507 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Binh going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 676,044 US residents.
Is Binh a common name?
We classify Binh as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 525 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Binh most popular?
The single biggest year for Binh was 1984, when 34 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Binh is about 35 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Binh a male name?
Yes, 92.8% of people registered as Binh in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.