Bùi

Bùi (Chữ Hán: 裴) is a common Vietnamese surname, ranking 9th among the most frequent surnames in Vietnam. It represents the Vietnamese form of the Chinese surname Pei, derived from Sino-Vietnamese 裴 (pronounced bùi). The name is shared with Chinese Pei and Korean Bae, which share the same origin.

Etymology

The surname is ultimately linked to an ancient Chinese place name Pei, whose Chinese character 裴 possibly referred to a city in present-day Shanxi or Shandong. The Sino-Vietnamese reading of the character yields the pronunciation bùi, which was adopted as a Vietnamese surname.

Notable Bearers

Throughout history, Bùi has been borne by a range of notable Vietnamese figures:

• Bùi Thị Xuân (d. 1802), a renowned general from the Tây Sơn dynasty known for commanding elephant troops and fighting against Nguyễn forces.
• Bùi Diễm (1923–2021), South Vietnamese diplomat who served as ambassador to the United States.
• Bùi Thanh Liêm (1949–1981), a Vietnamese pilot and cosmonaut who trained under the Soviet Intercosmos program and flew on Soyuz 32 to the Salyut 6 space station.
• Bùi Xuân Phái (1920–1988), a celebrated painter known for his depictions of Hanoi's old quarter (Phố cổ).
• Bùi Bích Phương, who won the Miss Vietnam pageant in 1988.
• Bùi Tín (1927–2018), a former army officer and later dissident journalist.
• Bui Tuong Phong (1942–1975), a Vietnamese-American computer scientist known for developing the Phong shading and Phong reflection models in computer graphics.

Cultural Significance

As a common surname in Vietnam, Bùi reflects the historical influence of Chinese naming practices in Vietnam. Its ranking as the 9th most common surname places it alongside the most prevalent Vietnamese patronyms, and it can be traced across all regions of the country. The variant characters and sounds across Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese highlight the shared tradition of adopting and adapting Chinese-origin surnames across East Asia.

Key Facts

• Meaning: From Chinese place name Pei
• Origin: Sino-Vietnamese, ultimately Chinese
• Type: Surname (family name)
• Usage region: Vietnam