East and Southeast Asian names in American use

Before the names

The range is wider than any single tradition, because the traditions themselves braid languages: Chinese names chosen for meaning, Korean two-syllable forms, Vietnamese word-names, and the Philippines' Spanish-Tagalog-American blend.

The names that chart highest travel on pure sound: Kai at #93, with Hana, Mina and Yuna behind — short, open syllables English pronounces right on the first try. Mei, Jia and Lian sit further out, in steady but quiet use.

The Philippines contributes a signature all its own: Spanish classics carried through three centuries of history — Reyna, Estrella, Perla, Emilio, Angelo, and the very Mateo that tops the general American chart. Kian, one of the Philippines' modern favorites, charts at #400 on the same page.

This list also deliberately includes the English names that Asian-American communities made their own — Grace, Vivian, Kevin, Jenny. They are part of the naming story too, and the records show them still being handed down.

Vietnamese contributes the fewest chart entries — Van and Cam are the ones the current records place — which is worth reading honestly: this page shows what is actually used, not what could be. Everything on it has cleared real birth certificates in real numbers.