Dinh

Dinh, written with the Vietnamese diacritic as Đinh, is a Vietnamese surname and, in historical contexts, the name of an early Vietnamese dynasty. In English-language texts, the diacritic is often omitted, yielding "Dinh." The surname is carried by many Vietnamese families today and appears in various transliterations abroad.

The Đinh dynasty was one of the first centralized kingdoms in what is now Vietnam, ruling from 968 to 980. It was founded by Đinh Bộ Lĩnh, who is commonly known posthumously as Đinh Tiên Hoàng after unifying the country and ending a period of fragmentation. The capital was Hoa Lu, in present-day Ninh Bình Province. The dynasty pursued administrative centralization and established royal authority as a foundation for later regimes. After Đinh Bộ Lĩnh’s death, his son Đinh Toàn briefly ruled, but the throne soon passed to Lê Hoàn, who founded the Early Lê dynasty and brought an end to Đinh rule in 980.

Beyond lineage and rulers, Đinh remains a surname with deep roots in Vietnamese history and culture. In non-Vietnamese contexts, the spelling "Dinh" may appear as a transliteration of the Vietnamese name or in references to the dynasty.