Hien
- Gender
- Mostly boys
- Say it
- HYEN
- Origin
- Vietnamese
Hien is a name of Vietnamese origin, meaning “gentle, virtuous”. Too few babies were given it in the latest year to rank.
What does Hien mean?
Vietnamese: Vietnamese hiền, gentle, or hiển, illustrious
“gentle, virtuous”
A Vietnamese name used for both boys and girls, written Hien without its tone marks.
Is Hien a girl's or a boy's name?
In recent years, Hien has been given to girls and boys, mostly boys.
How popular is Hien in the US?
No boys in the US were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 1985, with 20 boys. It first appears in the records in 1979.
Half of all the boys named Hien in the US since 1880 were born between 1985 and 1999, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 1991, 49% of the babies named Hien in the US were girls.
Hien in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 7 | #9,659 |
| 2015 | 0 | – |
| 2014 | 0 | – |
| 2013 | 0 | – |
| 2012 | 0 | – |
| 2011 | 5 | #12,280 |
| 2010 | 0 | – |
| 2009 | 7 | #9,859 |
| 2008 | 6 | #11,030 |
| 2007 | 0 | – |
| 2006 | 8 | #8,726 |
| 2005 | 9 | #7,633 |
| 2004 | 7 | #8,921 |
| 2003 | 0 | – |
| 2002 | 12 | #5,718 |
| 2001 | 7 | #8,332 |
| 2000 | 5 | #10,341 |
| 1999 | 12 | #5,311 |
| 1998 | 5 | #9,623 |
| 1997 | 8 | #6,612 |
| 1996 | 11 | #5,180 |
| 1995 | 0 | – |
| 1994 | 10 | #5,446 |
| 1993 | 15 | #4,013 |
| 1992 | 10 | #5,228 |
| 1991 | 18 | #3,319 |
| 1990 | 14 | #3,965 |
| 1989 | 7 | #6,222 |
| 1988 | 12 | #3,910 |
| 1987 | 12 | #3,726 |
| 1986 | 9 | #4,453 |
| 1985 | 20 | #2,503 |
| 1984 | 14 | #3,105 |
| 1983 | 14 | #3,070 |
| 1982 | 16 | #2,830 |
| 1981 | 9 | #4,151 |
| 1980 | 9 | #4,133 |
| 1979 | 7 | #4,840 |
Names related to Hien
More Vietnamese names
An, Minh, Anh, Vy, Khoi, Khang, Ngoc, Can, Nhi, Nam, Thang, Khoa, Vinh, Phuong, Nguyen, Liem
Sources
Figures from Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Hien: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/hien, updated 20 October 2026.