南蛮是中国古代北方或中原一带的人对南部一些部族的称呼。在中国中心主义的天下观中，西戎和东夷、北狄、南蛮合称四夷。

南蛮一词最早载于周代，楚王直呼自己为「蛮夷」：「我蛮夷也 不与中国（中原）之号谥」。诸夏也不承认其为「华夏」或「中国」。周天子命楚人说「镇尔南方夷越之国，无侵中国」。晋人和郑人皆称其为「荆蛮」。

学者卢美松在〈闽台古代种族渊源〉说「蛮」是自称，有「民、人」之意。而更直接的意思是自称为「蛇」，其音缓读则为「弥麟」、「冥灵」，如沈莹《临海水土志》：「山夷自呼为『弥麟』」，以及《庄子》：「楚之南有冥灵者，以五百岁为春，五百岁为秋。」

Nanman (simplified Chinese:南蛮; traditional Chinese:南蠻; pinyin:Nánmán; Wade–Giles:Nan-man; literally: "Southern Barbarians") were aboriginal tribes who lived in southwestern China. They may have been related to the Sanmiao, dated to around the 3rd century BC. The Nanman were multiple ethnic groups including the Zhuang, the Tai, and some non-Chinese *****an-speaking groups such as the Bai people. There was never a single polity that united these people.