2000
#3,968
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,221
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.05
Uncommon Last name
Ling
A Chinese surname meaning "hill" or "mound," or referring to a person who lived near such a feature.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,517 Americans carry the last name Ling. That puts it at #3,467 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.36 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 29,761 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ling surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Ling with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 29,761
Census rank
#3,467
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
10K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,043 bearers of the surname Ling in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.36 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3467th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ling, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 62.4%. The next largest groups are White (27.4%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ling
The surname LING has its origins in England, and it is believed to have emerged in the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from the Old English word "ling," which means a heather plant or a type of low-growing shrub.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the LING surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where a person named Richard de Ling is mentioned. This suggests that the name may have initially been a locational surname, referring to someone who lived near an area abundant with heather or ling plants.
In the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, there is a reference to a person named William Lyng, which is likely an early variant spelling of the LING surname. This record provides evidence of the name's existence and usage during the 13th century.
The LING surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Ling in Norfolk and Ling Rigg in Yorkshire. These place names may have contributed to the development and spread of the surname in different regions.
One notable individual bearing the LING surname was Sir Ralph Ling (c. 1520-1586), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Another prominent figure was Nicholas Ling (c. 1533-1607), an English printer and publisher who was known for printing works by playwrights like William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe. Ling's printing shop was located in London, and he played a significant role in the dissemination of literature during the Elizabethan era.
In the 17th century, Henry Ling (1610-1662) was a notable English clergyman and theologian who served as the Bishop of Norwich. He was recognized for his sermons and writings on religious subjects.
Moving forward to the 18th century, John Ling (1696-1768) was an English botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of plants and their classification. He is particularly known for his work on the flora of Cambridgeshire.
Lastly, in the 19th century, Peter John Ling (1837-1911) was a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal College of Surgeons and the Royal College of Physicians.
These examples demonstrate the long-standing presence and historical significance of the LING surname, originating from its roots in England and spanning various fields and professions over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ling
Among Census respondents with the surname Ling, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 62.4%. The next largest groups are White (27.4%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Ling bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Ling surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander62.4% · 6,268
- White27.4% · 2,755
- Two or more races4.1% · 409
- Black or African American3.3% · 328
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 263
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ling
Ling appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#3,887
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,127
+906 bearers (+11.0%)
Per 100,000 3.09
Rank movement Up 81 places
2020
#3,467
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,043
+916 bearers (+10.0%)
Per 100,000 3.36
Rank movement Up 420 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,968 | 8,221 | 3.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,887 | 9,127 | 3.09 | +906 bearers (+11.0%) | Up 81 places |
| 2020 | #3,467 | 10,043 | 3.36 | +916 bearers (+10.0%) | Up 420 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Ling surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,887 | #3,467 | 10.8% |
| Count | 9,127 | 10,043 | 10.0% |
| Per 100K | 3.09 | 3.36 | 8.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ling bearers went from 9,127 to 10,043 (+10.0% change). The surname moved up 420 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,887 to #3,467.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Ling
FAQ
Ling surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ling?
Name Census estimates that about 11,517 living Americans carry the surname Ling. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 29,761 residents.
How common is Ling?
Ling ranks #3,467 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.36 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,043 people with the surname Ling. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,517), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.36 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.36 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Ling.
Has Ling become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ling went from 9,127 recorded bearers to 10,043. That is an increase of 916 (+10.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,887 to #3,467.
What does the Census say about the background of Ling?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ling, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 62.4%. The next largest groups are White (27.4%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ling in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.4% (6,268 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ling appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (62.4%), White (27.4%), Two or More Races (4.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Ling (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Ling mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "hill" or "mound," or referring to a person who lived near such a feature. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Ling (3.36 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Ling?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.