Finding a short name that tells a story is not that simple. In Vietnam, a female first name of only three letters alone evokes spring, apricot blossom and wishes of luck for the new year. This first name comes back in families as a nod to
Earlythe Vietnamese Lunar New Year. Behind these three letters lies a whole landscape of yellow petals and family traditions.
This first name is Mai, a very common name for girls in Vietnam. May evokes the month of May, a period of spring, symbolizing renewal and prosperity. As a first name of Asian origin, particularly Vietnamese, it is often linked to the meaning of “flower” or “lily of the valley”, representing beauty and delicacy. In Vietnamese, (Mai) also means “apricot flower”.
Meaning of the first name Mai: apricot blossom and Vietnamese spring
These different definitions come together around the same image: that of a nature that is reborn. In Vietnam, giving the first name Mai to a little girl often means associating her with flowering, the sweetness of spring and the idea of a happy new beginning. The first name is linked to the annual festivities thanks to the apricot tree in flower, a symbol of luck and prosperity, which reinforces its lucky charm.
In everyday Vietnamese language, we talk about
hoa mai or hoa mai vàng to designate the famous yellow apricot flower. The Vietnam National Tourism Office explains on Vietnamtourism.vn that these flowers decorate houses in the south of the country during the Lunar New Year. Their bright color refers to gold, therefore to the wealth hoped for for the year that begins.
Mai, Tết and yellow flowers: a first name at the heart of Vietnamese traditions
In the South of Vietnam, these hoa mai flowers announce the arrival of
Early almost as much as the tree announces Christmas in Europe. The Vietnam National Tourism Office recalls that the yellow apricot tree branches are installed in the living room, near the ancestral altar, to summon happiness and success. When a family chooses the first name Mai, it brings a bit of this festive atmosphere into the child’s daily life.
Further north in Vietnam, it is the peach blossom which dominates during the New Year, but the symbol remains the same: a tree which flowers before the others to announce a new cycle. On Wikipedia, the species Ochna integerrima is described as often called yellow mai flower, while in other parts of Asia the word “mai” may also refer to the Japanese plum tree Prunus mume. In all cases, the first name remains associated with early and joyful flowering.
An easy-to-wear first name, from Vietnam to the diaspora
Genealogy sites like MesAieux list the first name Mai in the Vietnamese diaspora living in Europe or North America. Three letters, no difficult consonants, a pronunciation close to “maï”: this first name slips smoothly into French classes. We also come across it in the forms Maï, May or Mae, which keep this discreet link with the apricot blossom and the month of May.