Ngu as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Ngu

What is the meaning of the name Ngu ?

The baby name Ngu is a Unisex name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced {'IPA': ['/ŋu/'], 'approximate_english': "ngoo (initial velar nasal 'ng' + 'oo' as in 'zoo')"}.

Ngu is Chinese, Igbo, Vietnamese in Origin.

Ngu has multiple independent origins. In Chinese contexts, it is a Southeast Asian Foochow (and sometimes Hakka/Cantonese) romanization of the surname 伍 and, less often, 吳; bearers are common in Sarawak and other Malaysian/Singaporean communities. As a given name in English-speaking places, it occasionally arises from the modern surname-as-given-name trend. The character 伍 conveys “five; a squad,” while 吳 names the ancient state of Wu and carries no specific lexical meaning in modern use.

Without Vietnamese diacritics, Ngu can stand for Ngũ (“five”), Ngư (“fish”), or Ngụ (“to dwell; reside”). As a given name, Ngũ and Ngư are attested, while plain “Ngu” in Vietnamese means “foolish,” so tone marks are crucial. Variants and cognates include Wu, Ng, Ngo, Goh/Go (Chinese) and Ngũ, Ngư, Ngụ (Vietnamese). Usage spans unisex given or middle name in Vietnam and the diaspora, and a surname-derived given name among Overseas Chinese since the 20th century.