Meilin
A Chinese name meaning "beautiful, elegant orchid".
Name Census estimates that about 327 living Americans carry the first name Meilin. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Meilin today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Meilin births was 2010 (22 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Meilin. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
327
~ 1 in 1,048,178 Americans
Peak year
2010
22 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,112
Tracked since 1986
Popularity
Meilin: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Meilin from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 120 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Meilin remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Meilin by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Meilin during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Meilins live
Origin
Meaning and history of Meilin
Meilin is a Chinese given name that has its origins in the Mandarin Chinese language. The name can be traced back to ancient China, where it was first recorded during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It is believed to be derived from the Chinese words "mei," meaning "plum blossom," and "lin," meaning "forest" or "woods."
The name Meilin was initially associated with the beauty and elegance of plum blossoms, which were highly revered in Chinese culture. The plum blossom is one of the four noble plants in Chinese tradition, symbolizing resilience, perseverance, and the ability to thrive in harsh conditions. As such, the name Meilin carried connotations of strength, grace, and endurance.
One of the earliest known references to the name Meilin can be found in the classic Chinese novel "Dream of the Red Chamber" (also known as "The Story of the Stone"), written during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). In this literary masterpiece, Meilin is the name of a minor character, a maidservant in the wealthy Jia household.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Meilin. One of the earliest recorded examples is Meilin Zhang (1055-1114), a renowned female poet and calligrapher during the Song Dynasty. Her poems and calligraphic works are highly regarded and have been preserved in various anthologies.
Another historical figure with the name Meilin was Meilin Yan (1816-1885), a Chinese scholar and official who served as a governor during the Qing Dynasty. He was known for his contributions to education and his efforts to reform the imperial examination system.
In more recent times, Meilin Chan (1925-2015) was a celebrated Hong Kong-born actress and singer who appeared in numerous Cantonese films and television shows throughout her career, which spanned over six decades.
Meilin Zhu (born 1984) is a contemporary Chinese painter and multimedia artist whose works have been exhibited in galleries and museums around the world. Her art often explores themes of identity, cultural heritage, and the intersection of tradition and modernity.
Meilin Hao (1958-2019) was a Chinese entrepreneur and philanthropist who co-founded the successful technology company Lenovo. She played a crucial role in the company's growth and expansion, and was recognized for her business acumen and philanthropic efforts.
People
Meilin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Meilin as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Meilin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Meilin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 327 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Meilin going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,048,178 US residents.
Is Meilin a common name?
We classify Meilin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 80.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 331 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Meilin most popular?
The single biggest year for Meilin was 2010, when 22 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Meilin is about 16 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Meilin a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Meilin in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.