Pham
A Vietnamese surname, widely used as a family name rather than a word with an English-language meaning.
The #370 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 3,662 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Pham is a Vietnamese surname, most commonly written in modern romanization without tone marks as Pham. It is traditionally associated with the Vietnamese surname Phạm, though the deeper origin of the name is not always explained in a way that can be cleanly translated into English. Because Vietnamese family names were historically influenced by Chinese naming tradition, the surname is usually treated as an established hereditary name rather than a descriptive English-style surname with a transparent literal meaning.
History
Phạm is one of the common surnames in Vietnam and appears widely among Vietnamese communities around the world, especially in the diaspora formed in the late 20th century. In English-speaking countries, Pham often reflects a simplified spelling of Phạm, with the accent marks omitted in ordinary records. The surname is now especially familiar in the United States because of Vietnamese immigration after the Vietnam War.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because Vietnamese tone marks are often dropped in passports, databases, and everyday English usage, Phạm is commonly written simply as Pham outside Vietnam.