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The family Ardeidae, with 72 recognized species, are referred to as egrets or bitterns or herons in the order Pelecaniformes.
Although herons resemble birds in some other families, such as the storks, ibises, spoonbills, and cranes, they differ from these in flying with their necks retracted, not outstretched.

Ardeidae, Ardea: the Latin word ardea meaning "heron".

Pond herons (Ardeola) are herons. The scientific name comes from Latin ardeola, a small heron (ardea).

1/ Chinese pond heron (Cò bợ, Ardeola bacchus) 
2/ Javan pond heron (Cò bợ Java, Ardeola speciosa) 

Botaurus is a genus of bitterns, a group of wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae.

Pelecaniformes, Pelecanus: Greek pelekan, pelekanos pelican.
Ardeidae, Ardea: Latin word meaning "heron".
The genus name Botaurus is derived from Medieval Latin butaurus, Bos (ox) and taurus (bull), because the bittern's call resembles the bellowing of a bull.

1/  Eurasian bittern or great bittern (Vạc rạ, Botaurus stellaris)
The species name stellaris is Latin for "starred", from stella, "star", and refers to the speckled plumage.

The cattle egret (Bubulcus) is a cosmopolitan genus of heron (family Ardeidae) found in the tropics, subtropics, and warm-temperate zones. The genus contains two species: the western cattle egret and the eastern cattle egret. Some authorities regard them as a single species. 

The genus name Bubulcus is Latin for herdsman, referring to this species' association with cattle. 

1/ Western cattle egret (Cò ruồi, Bubulcus ibis)

2/ Eastern cattle egret (Cò ruồi, Bubulcus coromandus)

Egretta is a genus of medium-sized herons, mostly breeding in warmer climates.
The genus name comes from the Provençal French for the little egret, aigrette, a diminutive of aigron, "heron".

1/ Pacific reef heron (Cò đen, Egretta sacra), also known as the eastern reef heron or eastern reef egret
2/ Little egret (Cò trắng, Egretta garzetta) 
The species epithet garzetta is from the Italian name for this bird, garzetta or sgarzetta.
3/ Chinese egret or Swinhoe's egret (Cò trắng Trung Quốc, Egretta eulophotes)

Ardea is a genus of herons. The genus name comes from the Latin word ardea meaning "heron".

1/ Great egret (Ardea alba), also known as the common egret, large egret, or (in the Old World) great white egret or great white heron
2/ Intermediate egret, median egret, smaller egret or medium egret (Cò ngàng nhỏ, Ardea intermedia)
Some authorities classify the intermediate egret in its own monotypic genus, Mesophoyx, while others place it with the smaller egrets in Egretta.
3/ Purple heron (Diệc lửa, Ardea purpurea) 
4/ Great-billed heron (Diệc Sumatra, Ardea sumatrana)
5/ Grey heron (Diệc xám, Ardea cinerea)

Butorides is a genus of small herons in the family Ardeidae. Butorides is from Middle English Butor "bittern" and Ancient Greek -oides, "resembling".
It contains three similar species which were formerly considered one species:
-the green heron or green-backed heron, Butorides virescens;
- the lava heron (Butorides sundevalli);
- and the striated heron, Butorides striatus.

1/ Striated heron (Cò xanh, Butorides striata) also known as mangrove heron, little green heron or green-backed heron

Ixobrychus is a genus of bitterns, a group of wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae.

Ardeidae, Ardea: the Latin word ardea meaning "heron".
The genus name combines the Ancient Greek ixias, a reed-like plant and brukhomai, to bellow.

1/ Black bittern (Cò hương, Ixobrychus flavicollis) 
2/ Cinnamon bittern (Cò lửa, Ixobrychus cinnamomeus) or chestnut bittern
3/ Yellow bittern (Cò lửa lùn, Ixobrychus sinensis)
4/ Von Schrenck's bittern or Schrenck's bittern (Cò nâu, Ixobrychus eurhythmus)

Gorsachius is a genus of Old World night herons typically found near water in forested regions.

1/ Malayan night heron (Cò tôm, vạc rừng, Gorsachius melanolophus), also known as Malaysian night heron and tiger bittern
2/ White-eared night heron (Vạc hoa, Gorsachius magnificus)
other scientific names: Oroanassa magnifica, Nycticorax magnificus

Nycticorax is a genus of night herons. The name Nycticorax means "night raven" originating from the Ancient Greek: nuktos "night" and korax, "raven". 
the night herons of the genera Nyctanassa and Gorsachius were formerly placed in Nycticorax.

1/ Black-crowned night-heron (Vạc, Nycticorax nycticorax), or black-capped night-heron, commonly shortened to just night-heron