Unisex name · since 1977
Ling
197 babies named Ling in U.S. Social Security records since 1977, with the highest year being 1981. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #19,975 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 197
- born since 1977
- 1980s
- peak decade
Ling is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 197 have been recorded since 1977.
Ling has 197 recorded births among girls since 1977, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1980s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1977 to 2024.
- #19,975 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 197 born since 1977
- 1980s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ling ranks #19,975 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 197 born since 1977, peaking in the 1980s.
- #19,975 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 197
- born since 1977
- 1980s
- peak decade
Ling's 197 recorded births place it above 72.35% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 2 jurisdictions, led by California.
Ling's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Ling splits its recorded history at 1992: 52% of all births land in the more recent half, 48% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1977 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1981 peak of 13 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Ling popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1977–2024
- Peak year (1981)
- 13
- Annual births at peak, across 48 years of records
Ling popularity over time - boys
18 total births recorded since 1982 (Ling as boys' name)
Ling by decade
1980s is the heaviest window (75 births, 38% of the file).
1980s was Ling's strongest decade.
75 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 38% of all-time use.
Ling births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 10
1970s
10 births
- 1980s
1980s
75 births
- 1990s
1990s
42 births
- 2000s
2000s
33 births
- 2010s
2010s
30 births
- 2020s 7
2020s
7 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 75 births (38% of all-time use).
Ling by state
Where Ling concentrates geographically, total births since 1977
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 26 | 13.2% |
| #2 | New York | | 5 | 2.5% |
26 of 197 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ling? ▼
Where does Ling sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Ling most popular? ▼
Where is Ling most popular? ▼
Is Ling a unisex name? ▼
How long has the name Ling been used? ▼
What names are similar to Ling? ▼
What to do with Ling's data
- Ling's decade-level peak was the 1980s (75 total births); usage has since declined to 7 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Lings (26 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Ling
Nearby Names Like Ling
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ling
Compare Ling side by side: Ling vs Linda Ling vs Lindsey Ling vs Lindsay
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Ling: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1981)
Similar record span (~47 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1977–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Ling draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.