Total births
349
Unisex name · since 1920
Ming
349 babies named Ming in U.S. Social Security records since 1920, with the highest year being 1981. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #9096
- among boys today
- 349
- born since 1920
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 36%
- more common than other boys
Ming currently ranks #9096 among unisex names in America, with 349 babies recorded since 1920.
Social Security Administration records show Ming recorded 349 times among boys since 1920, holding rank #9096 nationally today, ahead of 36% of boys, peaking in the 1990s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1920 to 2024.
- #9096 among boys today
- 349 born since 1920
- 1990s peak decade
- 36% more common than other boys
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Ming is currently the #9096 unisex name in America, more common than 36% of boys - 349 born since 1920, peaking in the 1990s.
- #9096
- among boys today
- 349
- born since 1920
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 36%
- more common than other boys
Ming vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#9096
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 36% of names given to boys today.
1990s
Peak decade
23% of everyone ever named Ming was born in this single decade.
1981
Single peak year
14 babies were named Ming in 1981 - its busiest year on record.
How Ming compares
349 49th percentile among 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Ming's all-time total is 5% below the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ming | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 349 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 14 | 23 | 22,252 |
Ming's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Ming splits its recorded history at 1995: 50% of all births land in the more recent half, 50% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1920 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1981 peak of 14 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Ming at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1981
Current rank
#9,096
Active since
1920
Ming popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1920–2024
- Peak year (1981)
- 14
- Annual births at peak, across 105 years of records
Ming popularity over time - girls
142 total births recorded since 1971 (Ming as girls' name)
Ming by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Ming's strongest decade.
80 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Ming births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 5
1920s
5 births
- 1960s 17
1960s
17 births
- 1970s
1970s
33 births
- 1980s
1980s
77 births
- 1990s
1990s
80 births
- 2000s
2000s
75 births
- 2010s
2010s
41 births
- 2020s 21
2020s
21 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 80 births (23% of all-time use).
Ming by state
Where Ming concentrates geographically, total births since 1920
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 21 | 6.0% |
| #2 | California | | 20 | 5.7% |
New York share of Ming's total US births 6.0%
Even split
21 of 349 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ming? ▼
349 babies have been named Ming since 1920. It currently ranks #9096 among boys. The peak year was 1981 with 14 births.
When was Ming most popular? ▼
Ming was most popular in the 1990s decade with 80 total births. The single peak year was 1981.
Where is Ming most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ming are New York (21 births), California (20 births).
Is Ming a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Ming is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 349 births, and as a girl's name it has 142 births.
How long has the name Ming been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Ming since 1920 -- 105 years through the most recent 2024 data.
What names are similar to Ming? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Minh, Minor, Minnie, Minoru, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Ming's data
- Ming's decade-level peak was the 1990s (80 total births); usage has since declined to 21 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Mings (21 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Ming
Nearby Names Like Ming
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ming
Minh Boy
#3123 2,116 births
Minor Boy
1,728 births
Minnie Boy
787 births
Minoru Boy
675 births
Mina Boy
#6604 672 births
Compare Ming side by side: Ming vs Minh Ming vs Minor Ming vs Minnie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ming
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1920–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Ming: #9096 Unisex Name - 349 Births, Peak 1981." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ming. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Ming 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 July 2026.