North Vietnam was only called North Vietnam.
 During the August Revolution following World War II, Vietnamese communist revolutionary H Ch Minh, leader of the Vit Minh Front, declared independence on 2 September 1945, announcing the creation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam
 The northern zone was controlled by the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and became commonly called North Vietnam, while the southern zone, under control of the de jure non-communist State of Vietnam was commonly called South Vietnam

