Ying
A feminine Chinese name meaning "flower, petals, elite, or luminous".
Name Census estimates that about 385 living Americans carry the first name Ying. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 65.0% of registrations being female. The average person named Ying today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ying births was 1989 (25 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ying. 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
385
~ 1 in 890,271 Americans
Peak year
1989
25 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
1998 SSA rank
#11,290
Tracked since 1980
Gender
Gender distribution for Ying
Ying is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 400 total registrations, 140 (35.0%) were male and 260 (65.0%) were female.
Ying as a male name
- Ranked #11,290 in 1998
- 5 male births in 1998
- Peak: 1987 (12 births)
Ying as a female name
- Ranked #17,230 in 2009
- 6 female births in 2009
- Peak: 1992 (16 births)
Popularity
Ying: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ying from the 1980s through to the 2000s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 188 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1980s peak, Ying remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ying 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 Ying during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Yings live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. California, New York, Minnesota recorded the most babies named Ying, while Wisconsin, Minnesota, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 29 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ying
Ying is a Chinese given name with a long and rich history dating back to ancient times. The name is derived from the Chinese character "瑩" which means "bright" or "luminous". It is believed to have originated during the Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC - 256 BC) when it was used to describe the radiant beauty of gemstones and pearls.
In ancient Chinese literature, the name Ying appears in several notable works. One of the earliest mentions is found in the Classic of Poetry, a collection of ancient Chinese poems and songs compiled around the 6th century BC. The name is also referenced in the Analects, a collection of sayings and teachings attributed to the philosopher Confucius (551 BC - 479 BC).
Throughout Chinese history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Ying. One of the earliest recorded examples is Ying Qu (fl. 500 BC), a renowned Confucian philosopher and scholar during the Spring and Autumn period. Another famous bearer of the name was Ying Zheng (259 BC - 210 BC), the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty who unified China and established the Great Wall.
During the Tang Dynasty (618 AD - 907 AD), a prominent figure named Ying Xingzhi (fl. 650 AD) was a celebrated calligrapher and poet. She is known for her exceptional calligraphic skills and her contributions to the development of the cursive script.
In more recent times, one of the most renowned individuals with the name Ying was Ying Chen (1916 - 2017), a renowned Chinese physicist who made significant contributions to the field of nuclear physics. She was the first female president of the Chinese Physical Society and played a crucial role in the development of China's nuclear program.
Another notable figure was Ying Li (1925 - 1994), a Chinese composer and musician who is considered one of the pioneers of modern Chinese music. His compositions blended traditional Chinese elements with Western influences, creating a unique and influential style.
These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Ying. The name's association with brightness and radiance has endured for centuries, making it a popular choice for parents seeking a name with a rich cultural heritage and positive connotations.
People
Ying + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ying as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with Y
Other first names starting with Y with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ying: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ying?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 385 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ying 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 890,271 US residents.
Is Ying a common name?
We classify Ying as "Very Rare". It ranks above 81.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 400 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ying most popular?
The single biggest year for Ying was 1989, when 25 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ying is about 35 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ying a female name?
Yes, 65.0% of people registered as Ying 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.