Vietnamese villages in Quang Nam were established alongside the process of defining the territory of the Dai Viet nation, beginning in the 19th century. However, the earliest document mentioning the names of villages in Quang Nam is the book "O Chau Can Luc" by Duong Van An, written in 1553. This is a valuable ancient text recording 66 villages in the Nam Hai Van region, located in the north of the former Quang Nam province, including many famous villages such as Phiem Ai, Ai Nghia (Ai Dai), Tuy Loan (Thuy Loan), Cam Toai (Kim Toai), Cam Le, Cau Nhi, etc.
These villages then belonged to Dien Ban district, Trieu Phong prefecture, Thuan Hoa region. From there, through many documents, we learn the names of many more villages in Quang Nam, and by the beginning of the 19th century (1812), the entire province had 1,046 villages (communes, hamlets, wards, districts, sub-districts, clans, settlements, etc.), and by the beginning of the 20th century (1910), there were 1,051 villages (communes, hamlets), not including villages in the high mountainous areas.
Through the names of the villages, we can learn about the basic principles of village naming used by the people of Quang Nam in the past, which often bore the strong imprint of the culture, history, and natural characteristics of the Quang Nam region.
Based on geographical features and the environment, names are often associated with prominent natural elements in the place of residence such as rivers, mountains, ponds, lakes, and trees (Ha Tan, Thac Gian, My Son, Thach Kieu , Thanh Lam, Bich Ngo, etc.); based on family origins, clans, or places of migration to remember one's roots (Thanh Chiem, Thanh Ha, Nghi Son, etc.); a combination of Nom and Han characters, aiming for beautiful characters and auspicious meanings (Hai Chau, Cam Toai, Cam Sa, etc.); based on desires and aspirations for a peaceful, prosperous, happy, and developing life (Binh An, Truong Xuan, An Hoa, Hoi An, etc.); based on cultural and historical aspects (Lieu Tri, etc.).
An important principle strictly adhered to by our ancestors in all villages was consensus and respect. Village names were carefully discussed and agreed upon by the elders and respected members of the community. Because of these principles, village names in Quang Nam in the past all had significant meanings; hearing the name offered some insight into the land and people of that region.
Since their appearance, village names in Quang Nam have rarely changed, remaining long-standing, except for a few cases due to duplication with the names of kings, lords, or queens (Kim Toai changed to Cam Toai, Hoa Thu changed to Phong Thu, Kim Quat became Thanh Quat - Thanh Quyt, Kim Sa became Cam Sa...) or due to village splitting while retaining the basic elements and meanings, mostly adding directions or locations (Hoa Khue became Hoa Khue Dong, Hoa Khue Tay...).
Due to adherence to the above principles, many villages share one or two words in their names, especially those related to natural characteristics and aspirations for good fortune. Researcher Nguyen Dinh Dau, while studying villages in Quang Nam in the early 19th century, conducted a rather elaborate statistical analysis of village names and concluded that the first letters of many village names were quite similar.
Accordingly, there are 26 words related to the first letters of the names of 674 villages out of a total of 1,046 villages. For example, there are 92 villages whose names begin with the word "Phú" (Phú Quý, Phú Thượng, Phú Hưng, Phú Thuận, etc.); 82 villages whose names begin with the word "An" (An Bình, An Tường, An Lễ, An Tráng, etc.); 52 villages whose names begin with the word "Phúc" (Phúc An, Phúc Khương, Phúc Kiều, etc.) or "Phước" (Phước Hà, Phước Lâm, Phước Tường, etc.); and 40 villages whose names begin with the word "Bình" (Bình An, Bình Yên, Bình Khê, etc.).
The way villages were named reveals that the people of Quang Nam in the past primarily desired and dreamed of a peaceful and prosperous life. Generally, the village names of the people of Quang Nam in the past served as historical and cultural markers, preserving the origins and soul of the community. Therefore, whenever naming a village, the people of Quang Nam in the past were always cautious, thoughtful, and adhered to fundamental principles.
I believe that preserving the naming conventions of our ancestors is essential in the current administrative reorganization process; otherwise, it will lead to the blurring of history, a disruption of culture, and a breakdown of intergenerational bonds.
Source: https://baodanang.vn/chuyen-dat-ten-lang-xua-o-xu-quang-3333641.html
