Name Game
![Picture](/uploads/8/3/9/7/83970702/published/910811719.jpg?1490830209)
My first name came from the flower, "lily". My mom and aunt are both named after flowers. My mom's name is "Lan", which means orchid. My mother believes that girls should be named after flowers. The only exception to this is my sister. My middle name, "Minh" comes from my grandpa, which means "bright." My sister's middle name "Đinh", comes from my other grandpa. My dad has this middle name as well. Vietnamese middle names are mostly gender neutral, so that is how I inherited my middle name from my grandpa. I would not like to continue any of these names.
My family creates nicknames for all of the kids, so I don't know the real names of most of my cousins. I usually call them by their given nicknames. However, my family knows my sister and I's real names because we are the only ones in the family with English names. That is because my whole family (except for my parents and sister) all live in Vietnam.
My family creates nicknames for all of the kids, so I don't know the real names of most of my cousins. I usually call them by their given nicknames. However, my family knows my sister and I's real names because we are the only ones in the family with English names. That is because my whole family (except for my parents and sister) all live in Vietnam.
A Story About My Last Name
When the Nguyễn Dynasty was ruling over Vietnam (1802-1945), it was a custom to change your last name to that of the current emperor. It was usually given to one by the emperor because they did a good deed or they made a great contribution to the country. Those who were recognized by the emperors were given the emperor's current last name as a gift and it was an honor to receive it. That is why today, you see so many Vietnamese people with the last name Nguyễn.