China
China was given to 8 girls in 2025, #11,144 among girls’ names; 4,618 Americans have been recorded with it since 1885 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 4,210 Americans named China and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (91% of everyone recorded); the median is 32 years old and half are between 27 and 38.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of China by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does China mean?
Wiktionary, English section
China is “a female given name.” Its etymology gives the senses “China” (Sīna) and “China” (𐭰𐭩𐭭) and “the Chinese; China” (चीन).
From Portuguese China, from possibly Venetan Cina probably under influence from Old French Chin, from Classical Persian چین (čīn) under influence from Medieval Latin Sīna (“China”), from Middle Persian 𐭰𐭩𐭭 (Čīn, “China”), from Sanskrit चीन (cīna, “the Chinese; China”) of uncertain etymology. It is usually thought to be derived from Chinese 秦 (Qín) (sm Qín, mc d͡zin, oc *dziŋ, “Qin”), the westernmost ancient Chinese state, but other theories have been proposed, including derivation from 晉 /晋 (jìn) (sm Jìn, mc t͡sinh, oc *tsiŋh, “Jin”), another important ancient state; 荊 /荆 (jīng) (sm Jīng, mc kɹaŋ, oc *kreŋ, “Chu”), the southernmost ancient Chinese state; or Zina, the endonym of the people of the Yelang kingdom. See “Names of China” and “Chinas” at Wikipedia. As a female name, usually derived via china (“porcelain”) and china doll, ultimately from the same source.
/ˈt͡ʃaɪnə/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is China?
#11,144 among girls’ names, 2025
China fell from #4,320 in 2015 to #11,144 in 2025 among girls’ names; its share of girls born fell from 18.5 to 5.0 per million.
245 babies in 1992, the peak
China peaked in 1992, when 245 girls were given it, #814 among girls’ names. The 8 births of 2025 are 3% of that peak.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8 | #11,144 | under 0.01 |
| 2024 | 7 | #12,427 | under 0.01 |
| 2023 | 10 | #9,757 | 0.01 |
| 2022 | 14 | #7,715 | 0.01 |
| 2021 | 6 | #13,846 | under 0.01 |
| 2020 | 16 | #6,987 | 0.01 |
| 2019 | 18 | #6,476 | 0.01 |
| 2018 | 15 | #7,471 | 0.01 |
| 2017 | 11 | #9,449 | 0.01 |
| 2016 | 33 | #4,363 | 0.02 |
Every recorded year (118)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 33 | #4,320 | 0.02 |
| 2014 | 34 | #4,285 | 0.02 |
| 2013 | 44 | #3,523 | 0.03 |
| 2012 | 46 | #3,479 | 0.03 |
| 2011 | 57 | #2,994 | 0.03 |
| 2010 | 52 | #3,167 | 0.03 |
| 2009 | 39 | #3,956 | 0.02 |
| 2008 | 44 | #3,658 | 0.02 |
| 2007 | 42 | #3,801 | 0.02 |
| 2006 | 51 | #3,231 | 0.03 |
| 2005 | 47 | #3,269 | 0.03 |
| 2004 | 53 | #2,967 | 0.03 |
| 2003 | 54 | #2,843 | 0.03 |
| 2002 | 64 | #2,469 | 0.04 |
| 2001 | 92 | #1,886 | 0.05 |
| 2000 | 151 | #1,279 | 0.08 |
| 1999 | 156 | #1,214 | 0.09 |
| 1998 | 194 | #1,024 | 0.11 |
| 1997 | 224 | #898 | 0.13 |
| 1996 | 190 | #989 | 0.11 |
| 1995 | 186 | #1,001 | 0.11 |
| 1994 | 195 | #951 | 0.11 |
| 1993 | 222 | #872 | 0.12 |
| 1992 | 245 | #814 | 0.13 |
| 1991 | 192 | #975 | 0.10 |
| 1990 | 163 | #1,081 | 0.09 |
| 1989 | 148 | #1,116 | 0.08 |
| 1988 | 109 | #1,320 | 0.06 |
| 1987 | 87 | #1,485 | 0.05 |
| 1986 | 66 | #1,751 | 0.04 |
| 1985 | 44 | #2,289 | 0.03 |
| 1984 | 51 | #1,995 | 0.03 |
| 1983 | 53 | #1,930 | 0.03 |
| 1982 | 52 | #1,993 | 0.03 |
| 1981 | 61 | #1,812 | 0.04 |
| 1980 | 65 | #1,725 | 0.04 |
| 1979 | 47 | #2,116 | 0.03 |
| 1978 | 45 | #2,094 | 0.03 |
| 1977 | 46 | #2,068 | 0.03 |
| 1976 | 37 | #2,264 | 0.03 |
| 1975 | 29 | #2,624 | 0.02 |
| 1974 | 29 | #2,563 | 0.02 |
| 1973 | 25 | #2,768 | 0.02 |
| 1972 | 17 | #3,573 | 0.01 |
| 1971 | 27 | #2,674 | 0.02 |
| 1970 | 20 | #3,227 | 0.01 |
| 1969 | 19 | #3,114 | 0.01 |
| 1968 | 14 | #3,634 | 0.01 |
| 1967 | 8 | #5,051 | under 0.01 |
| 1966 | 11 | #4,001 | 0.01 |
| 1965 | 17 | #3,068 | 0.01 |
| 1964 | 10 | #4,396 | 0.01 |
| 1963 | 7 | #5,385 | under 0.01 |
| 1962 | 16 | #3,182 | 0.01 |
| 1961 | 9 | #4,592 | under 0.01 |
| 1960 | 15 | #3,233 | 0.01 |
| 1959 | 9 | #4,342 | under 0.01 |
| 1958 | 9 | #4,234 | under 0.01 |
| 1957 | 13 | #3,346 | 0.01 |
| 1956 | 6 | #5,394 | under 0.01 |
| 1955 | 9 | #4,119 | under 0.01 |
| 1954 | 15 | #2,904 | 0.01 |
| 1953 | 6 | #5,138 | under 0.01 |
| 1952 | 12 | #3,225 | 0.01 |
| 1951 | 5 | #5,542 | under 0.01 |
| 1949 | 6 | #4,762 | under 0.01 |
| 1948 | 5 | #5,361 | under 0.01 |
| 1947 | 9 | #3,750 | 0.01 |
| 1946 | 5 | #5,068 | under 0.01 |
| 1945 | 6 | #4,102 | under 0.01 |
| 1944 | 5 | #4,677 | under 0.01 |
| 1943 | 6 | #4,267 | under 0.01 |
| 1942 | 9 | #3,219 | 0.01 |
| 1941 | 6 | #4,034 | under 0.01 |
| 1940 | 8 | #3,258 | 0.01 |
| 1938 | 5 | #4,431 | under 0.01 |
| 1937 | 13 | #2,338 | 0.01 |
| 1936 | 8 | #3,145 | 0.01 |
| 1935 | 6 | #3,822 | 0.01 |
| 1934 | 11 | #2,590 | 0.01 |
| 1933 | 8 | #3,152 | 0.01 |
| 1930 | 7 | #3,715 | 0.01 |
| 1929 | 10 | #2,952 | 0.01 |
| 1928 | 7 | #3,818 | 0.01 |
| 1927 | 10 | #3,091 | 0.01 |
| 1926 | 7 | #3,943 | 0.01 |
| 1925 | 17 | #2,206 | 0.01 |
| 1924 | 5 | #5,200 | under 0.01 |
| 1923 | 8 | #3,702 | 0.01 |
| 1922 | 13 | #2,634 | 0.01 |
| 1921 | 7 | #4,090 | 0.01 |
| 1920 | 7 | #4,032 | 0.01 |
| 1919 | 10 | #3,042 | 0.01 |
| 1918 | 7 | #3,936 | 0.01 |
| 1917 | 12 | #2,581 | 0.01 |
| 1916 | 10 | #2,863 | 0.01 |
| 1915 | 9 | #2,938 | 0.01 |
| 1914 | 9 | #2,463 | 0.01 |
| 1913 | 6 | #2,883 | 0.01 |
| 1910 | 8 | #1,798 | 0.02 |
| 1909 | 5 | #2,267 | 0.01 |
| 1908 | 8 | #1,563 | 0.02 |
| 1906 | 5 | #2,002 | 0.02 |
| 1905 | 7 | #1,566 | 0.02 |
| 1904 | 5 | #1,935 | 0.02 |
| 1900 | 7 | #1,600 | 0.02 |
| 1888 | 5 | #1,315 | 0.03 |
| 1885 | 5 | #1,070 | 0.04 |
Ranks and shares: girls’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all girls SSA recorded that year.
Is China a boy’s or a girl’s name?
China has been given almost only to girls: 10 boys in 118 years of records.
Girls and boys named China: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named China, and how old are they?
4,210 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 91% of the 4,618 Americans ever recorded as China. The median China alive today is 32 years old; half are between 27 and 38.
The 2020 Census counted 3,979 people named China (3,844 women and girls, 135 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 4,220 born in the U.S. The Census count is 6% below that prediction.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 34 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 132 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 428 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 2,020 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 1,350 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 247 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named China born?
The states with the most babies named China are California, Michigan and Illinois, with 35% of its births recorded by state since 1910.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, girls | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 336 | not ranked | 0.6× |
| Michigan | 242 | not ranked | 1.4× |
| Illinois | 231 | not ranked | 1.1× |
| Georgia | 209 | not ranked | 1.6× |
| New York | 193 | not ranked | 0.6× |
| Ohio | 141 | not ranked | 0.7× |
| Texas | 141 | not ranked | 0.4× |
| Florida | 134 | not ranked | 0.7× |
| North Carolina | 103 | not ranked | 0.8× |
| Pennsylvania | 76 | not ranked | 0.4× |
Where China is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, China is most over-represented in Georgia: since 1910 it was given 1.6 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among girls’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of China with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 7 names spelled alike, given to 13,218 babies since 1880, China is the second most given (35% of them). In 2025 it was given to 8 of their 35 babies (23%), again the second most given.
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as China
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about China and names like it
- Compare China and ChynaBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1990sChina peaked in 1992.
- California’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named China since 1910.
- The top names of 1992The year the most babies were named China.
- The names of the MillennialsMost people named China alive today were born 1981-1996.
- Names starting with CMost given first.