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.
- #9,768 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 349
- born since 1920
- 1990s
- peak decade
349 boys have been named Ming since 1920, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Social Security Administration records show Ming recorded 349 times among boys since 1920, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, 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.
- #9,768 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 349 born since 1920
- 1990s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ming ranks #9,768 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 349 born since 1920, peaking in the 1990s.
- #9,768 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 349
- born since 1920
- 1990s
- peak decade
Ming's 349 recorded births place it above 78.51% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 2 jurisdictions, led by New York.
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 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
1990s is the heaviest window (80 births, 23% of the file).
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% |
21 of 349 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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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
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
Compare Ming side by side: Ming vs Minh Ming vs Minor Ming vs Minnie
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Ming: 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 (~104 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, 1920–2024 (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 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 August 2026.