The Origin of bàbu
Hello there, my name is Hà Kiên, and I’m the one behind bàbu. I also go by Haneki—a wordplay on my name—created to distinguish it from my personal name.
Think of it as my work persona.
One thing I’ve noticed is that brands with Western influence often lean toward individualism in their names, while Eastern brands tend to reflect collectivist principles. Having been born and raised in Việt Nam but educated at a university in the U.S., I found myself somewhere in between. That’s how haneki came about: it represents both the individuality of a personal identity and the flexibility to describe a collective. I’ll share more about the haneki, the brand, another time, but for now, this article is about Haneki, the person, and bàbu.
A bit of background—my degree is in Marketing and Management, and I’ve worked as a freelance marketing advisor for micro and small businesses in Việt Nam. My skills are fairly balanced; I’m not an expert in one narrow field but rather curious about many aspects of business. Focusing on just one would feel repetitive and drain my energy over time. Starting my own business felt like the natural choice—something that could match both my abilities and my interests.
That’s how bàbu began.
I always knew the name would belong to my most important project, but back then, I didn’t know what that project would be. I was young and full of ideas. My first plan was to create a music streaming platform. It never left the notebook—limited capital and the arrival of COVID stopped it before it could start. In hindsight, that may have been a blessing; I would have burned through all my savings for nothing.
After the pandemic, I left Hồ Chí Minh City. It’s energetic and fast-growing, but it wasn’t for me. I moved to Phú Quốc to start a company with friends, putting the bàbu plan back into my “secret treasure box.” Life on this beautiful island inspired me and taught me lessons that reshaped my thinking. I decided to make it my home and wanted to leave my mark here. That’s when I reached for that secret box of dreams and passions to figure out what I truly wanted—and who I truly was.
This is where the journey begins.
The word “bàbu” isn’t common in Vietnamese. “Bà” is a pronoun for a middle-aged or older woman; for example, “bà ngoại” is a maternal grandmother, and “đàn bà” means women. “Bu” is a less common word for “mom.” Together, “bà bu” means mother.
When I was a child, my dad always referred to my mom as “bà bu,” and my cousins and I picked it up because we found it funny. At the time, we didn’t understand the real meaning—we gave it our own, something playful, quirky, and a bit nonsensical. Over time, it became part of our family’s language, something all my cousins used naturally.
To me, “bà bu” holds a piece of my cherished childhood and memories. Everything I want to achieve with my business shares the same goal: to bring that feeling of connection and pure joy to others.
So, that’s my little biography. I hope you enjoyed it and will join us on this journey. Now that you know the meaning behind the name, I’ll leave you with these final words:
We are bàbu, and we wish you always bàbu.