Khoi as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Khoi

What is the meaning of the name Khoi ?

The baby name Khoi is a Male name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced koy (IPA: /kɔɪ/).

Khoi is Vietnamese in Origin.

Khoi is the unaccented form of the Vietnamese name Khôi, from the Sino-Vietnamese reading of the Chinese character 魁 (Mandarin Kuí). It denotes “chief, leader, foremost,” and by extension “impressive, stalwart, handsome,” reflected in the idiom khôi ngô (handsome and bright). The name is strongly masculine in Vietnamese usage and evokes prominence or excellence, sometimes glossed as “the outstanding one” or “first among peers.”

Historically tied to the Confucian-literary sphere, Khôi appears in expressions like khôi nguyên, meaning first-place laureate or champion. It remains a popular modern choice in Vietnam and the diaspora, often combined in double names (e.g., Minh Khôi, Anh Khôi, Đức Khôi). Variants and spellings include Khôi (standard, with circumflex) and Khoi (diaspora romanization without diacritics). A cognate root exists in Chinese given names transliterated as Kui; not related to the South African ethnonym Khoi.