Vol. 15 (2026)

Research Articles

Personal Naming and Law: The Vietnamese Civil Code and English Common Law in Comparative Perspective

Published 19.04.2026

  • Khoa Nguyen-Viet

Khoa Nguyen-Viet
Faculty of Foreign Languages, Hanoi University of Science and Technology

Abstract

This article examines how personal names are regulated in Vietnam and England, exploring what these contrasting approaches reveal about law as a cultural institution. It argues that legal regimes of naming do not merely register identity but encode distinct cultural logics: Vietnamese law emphasizes collectivist stability through codification, while English law prioritizes individual autonomy via permissive common law. Drawing on statutory analysis (notably the 2015 Vietnamese Civil Code), English case law, administrative circulars, and ethnographic studies of minority naming practices, the study highlights how legal frameworks interact with social norms. Findings indicate that Vietnam’s codification reinforces kinship and lineage structures but risks marginalizing non-majority practices, whereas English common law facilitates personal choice yet can disadvantage migrants and minority language users due to administrative and resource barriers. By treating names as both cultural-linguistic artifacts and legal identifiers, the article shows that the “right to a name” is realized in culturally specific ways, illuminating law’s role in mediating identity, recognition, and belonging.

 

Cite as: Nguyen-Viet, JLL 15 (2026), 58–85, DOI: 10.14762/jll.2026.58

Keywords

personal name, Vietnamese civil code, English common law, law and culture, onomastics

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Author Biography

Khoa Nguyen-Viet

Nguyen-Viet Khoa

Hanoi University of Science and Technology

No. 1, Dai Co Viet Street, Bach Mai, Hanoi, Vietnam

Email: khoa.nguyenviet@hust.edu.vn

 

Notes on the Author:

Nguyen-Viet  Khoa holds a PhD in Linguistics. He is former Acting Dean of the Faculty of Foreign Languages at Ha Noi  University of Science and Technology, Viet Nam. His research interests center around onomastics, practical lexicography, cross-cultural awareness in EFL teaching and foreign languages for science and technology.

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