Ming
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- MING
- Origin
- Chinese
- UK rank, 2025
- #4,301 for boys
Ming is a boys' name of Chinese origin, meaning “bright, brilliant”. In 2025 it ranked 4,301st for boys in the UK (4 babies).
What does Ming mean?
Chinese
“bright, brilliant”
Chinese ming 'bright' is also the name of the Ming dynasty, which ruled China from 1368 to 1644.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Ming a girl's or a boy's name?
Ming is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 4 boys in the UK. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Ming in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #4,301among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 4about 1 in 75,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Rising fastup 300% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 4 boys in the UK were named Ming, making it the 4,301st most popular name for boys. Its busiest year was 2012, with 10 boys.
Half of all the boys named Ming in the UK since 1996 were born between 2006 and 2014. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
In 2010, 58% of the babies named Ming in the UK were girls.
Among boys in 2025, it was 4,212th in England and Wales.
Ming in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4 | #4,301 |
| 2024 | 0 | – |
| 2023 | 6 | #3,279 |
| 2022 | 0 | – |
| 2021 | 3 | #4,989 |
| 2020 | 0 | – |
| 2019 | 0 | – |
| 2018 | 1 | #6,277 |
| 2017 | 3 | #4,995 |
| 2016 | 1 | #6,416 |
| 2015 | 4 | #4,086 |
| 2014 | 5 | #3,529 |
| 2013 | 3 | #4,884 |
| 2012 | 10 | #2,230 |
| 2011 | 5 | #3,446 |
| 2010 | 5 | #3,478 |
| 2009 | 6 | #2,970 |
| 2008 | 9 | #2,212 |
| 2007 | 8 | #2,337 |
| 2006 | 3 | #4,204 |
| 2005 | 0 | – |
| 2004 | 5 | #2,691 |
| 2003 | 6 | #2,283 |
| 2002 | 0 | – |
| 2001 | 0 | – |
| 2000 | 5 | #2,237 |
| 1999 | 4 | #2,513 |
| 1998 | 0 | – |
| 1997 | 0 | – |
| 1996 | 3 | #2,949 |
How popular is Ming in the US?
No boys in the US were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 1981, with 14 boys. It first appears in the records in 1920.
Half of all the boys named Ming in the US since 1880 were born between 1983 and 2005, the years shaded on the chart below.
Ming in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 8 | #8,982 |
| 2023 | 0 | – |
| 2022 | 6 | #10,855 |
| 2021 | 0 | – |
| 2020 | 7 | #9,548 |
| 2019 | 0 | – |
| 2018 | 0 | – |
| 2017 | 6 | #10,770 |
| 2016 | 0 | – |
| 2015 | 8 | #8,739 |
| 2014 | 5 | #12,102 |
| 2013 | 7 | #9,650 |
| 2012 | 5 | #12,267 |
| 2011 | 5 | #12,280 |
| 2010 | 5 | #12,224 |
| 2009 | 5 | #12,486 |
| 2008 | 0 | – |
| 2007 | 9 | #8,169 |
| 2006 | 7 | #9,579 |
| 2005 | 11 | #6,628 |
| 2004 | 9 | #7,530 |
| 2003 | 9 | #7,238 |
| 2002 | 8 | #7,636 |
| 2001 | 8 | #7,529 |
| 2000 | 9 | #6,832 |
| 1999 | 10 | #6,036 |
| 1998 | 8 | #6,837 |
| 1997 | 5 | #9,259 |
| 1996 | 6 | #7,964 |
| 1995 | 8 | #6,400 |
| 1994 | 6 | #7,764 |
| 1993 | 7 | #6,809 |
| 1992 | 10 | #5,228 |
| 1991 | 7 | #6,511 |
| 1990 | 13 | #4,161 |
| 1989 | 6 | #6,934 |
| 1988 | 8 | #5,194 |
| 1987 | 8 | #4,962 |
| 1986 | 0 | – |
| 1985 | 5 | #6,517 |
| 1984 | 7 | #4,969 |
| 1983 | 12 | #3,410 |
| 1982 | 10 | #3,964 |
| 1981 | 14 | #3,028 |
| 1980 | 7 | #4,938 |
| 1979 | 9 | #4,066 |
| 1978 | 0 | – |
| 1977 | 0 | – |
| 1976 | 5 | #5,584 |
| 1975 | 8 | #3,939 |
| 1974 | 6 | #4,632 |
| 1973 | 0 | – |
| 1972 | 0 | – |
| 1971 | 0 | – |
| 1970 | 5 | #4,722 |
| 1969 | 6 | #3,934 |
| 1968 | 5 | #4,135 |
| 1967 | 0 | – |
| 1966 | 6 | #3,535 |
| 1965 | 0 | – |
| 1964 | 0 | – |
| 1963 | 0 | – |
| 1962 | 0 | – |
| 1961 | 0 | – |
| 1960 | 0 | – |
| 1959 | 0 | – |
| 1958 | 0 | – |
| 1957 | 0 | – |
| 1956 | 0 | – |
| 1955 | 0 | – |
| 1954 | 0 | – |
| 1953 | 0 | – |
| 1952 | 0 | – |
| 1951 | 0 | – |
| 1950 | 0 | – |
| 1949 | 0 | – |
| 1948 | 0 | – |
| 1947 | 0 | – |
| 1946 | 0 | – |
| 1945 | 0 | – |
| 1944 | 0 | – |
| 1943 | 0 | – |
| 1942 | 0 | – |
| 1941 | 0 | – |
| 1940 | 0 | – |
| 1939 | 0 | – |
| 1938 | 0 | – |
| 1937 | 0 | – |
| 1936 | 0 | – |
| 1935 | 0 | – |
| 1934 | 0 | – |
| 1933 | 0 | – |
| 1932 | 0 | – |
| 1931 | 0 | – |
| 1930 | 0 | – |
| 1929 | 0 | – |
| 1928 | 0 | – |
| 1927 | 0 | – |
| 1926 | 0 | – |
| 1925 | 0 | – |
| 1924 | 0 | – |
| 1923 | 0 | – |
| 1922 | 0 | – |
| 1921 | 0 | – |
| 1920 | 5 | #4,284 |
Names like Ming
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Minh Yug Tai Shko Loki Mika Yoan Rumi Yitzchok Kairo Dakota Guto
More Chinese names
Lian Jia Mei Tian Jun Mulan Yi Tao San Jian Han Mian Bao Xia Lin Yichen
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Ming: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/ming, updated 20 October 2026.