Khmer Family Names in Chau Doc

From: Dinh Lu Giang

Date: Wed, Aug 5, 2009 at 9:12 PM

Dear VSGers,

I have just been back from Chau Doc and found that in Khmer area, most of Khmer people have Chau (man) or Neang (woman) as family names. We know that Giao Long gave Khmer people in the South the five name Son, Thach, Lam, Kim, Danh but not Chau (and Neang). There are several explanations on the origin of those names.

Does someone know the origin of those names or could recommend some readings on them?

Thank you

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From: Nguyen-Vo, Thu-Huong

Date: 2009/8/6

I think it might have been Minh Mang who forced Khmers to take on Son, Thach, Lam, Kim, Kien as part of his policy of Nhat Thi Dong Nhan. So+n Nam might have written about this in his Lich Su Khan Hoang Mien Nam.

nvt huong

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From: Hai Le

Date: 2009/8/6

Yes. It was in the time of Minh Mang, but another wave by Ngo Dinh Diem as well, as recorded by Cham scholars

http://www.bbc.co.uk/vietnamese/indepth/story/2006/03/060320_cham_name.shtml