Ting
A feminine given name of Chinese origin representing a "melodious sound".
Name Census estimates that about 85 living Americans carry the first name Ting. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 83.0% of registrations being female. The average person named Ting today is around 30 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ting births was 2001 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ting. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Ting. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
85
~ 1 in 4,032,404 Americans
Peak year
2001
12 babies that year
Average age
30
years old
2001 SSA rank
#12,154
Tracked since 1984
Gender
Gender distribution for Ting
Ting leans heavily female at 83.0% of total registrations, but 15 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Ting as a male name
- Ranked #12,154 in 2001
- 5 male births in 2001
- Peak: 1992 (5 births)
Ting as a female name
- Ranked #19,845 in 2006
- 5 female births in 2006
- Peak: 1984 (9 births)
Popularity
Ting: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ting from the 1980s through to the 2000s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 40 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ting 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 Ting during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Tings live
Origin
Meaning and history of Ting
The given name Ting has its origins in the Chinese language, dating back to ancient times. It is a single-syllable name that holds particular significance in Chinese culture.
In Mandarin Chinese, the character '廷' is pronounced 'ting' and means 'courtyard' or 'hall'. It was often used in reference to the imperial court or palace, signifying a connection to royalty or nobility. The name Ting may have been given to children born into aristocratic families or those with ties to the imperial court.
Historically, the name Ting can be found in various Chinese literary works and records from as early as the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD). It was a relatively common name among the ruling classes and scholars during this period.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Ting is Ting Lan, a renowned calligrapher and painter who lived during the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420 AD). His works were highly influential in the development of Chinese calligraphy and painting styles.
Another notable figure with the name Ting was Ting Kung-Pao, a military strategist and advisor who served under the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). He played a crucial role in several military campaigns and was known for his tactical acumen.
During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), there was a famous painter and poet named Ting Shou-Cheng. His landscape paintings and calligraphic works were highly regarded and celebrated for their beauty and depth.
In more recent history, Ting Pei, a prominent architect and urban planner, made significant contributions to the development of modern Chinese cities in the early 20th century. He was born in 1886 and his innovative designs left a lasting impact on urban planning in China.
Another notable figure was Ting Wen-Chiang, a Taiwanese diplomat and politician who played a crucial role in the country's transition to democracy. He was born in 1926 and served as the Vice President of Taiwan from 1990 to 1996.
While the name Ting has its roots in ancient Chinese culture, it has transcended borders and has been adopted by various other cultures and societies over time, reflecting the global influence of Chinese heritage and tradition.
People
Ting + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ting as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ting: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ting?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 85 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ting 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 4,032,404 US residents.
Is Ting a common name?
We classify Ting as "Very Rare". It ranks above 62.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 88 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ting most popular?
The single biggest year for Ting was 2001, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ting is about 30 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ting a female name?
Yes, 83.0% of people registered as Ting 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.