Ling

♀ Girl

Pronounced LING /ˈlɪŋ/Medium

Meaning: Ling is a romanized Chinese name; its meaning depends entirely on the written character, ranging from 'spirit; soul' to 'delicate; graceful' to 'the tinkling sound of jade.' A soft, single-syllable name whose exact sense varies.Low

In 30 seconds: A gentle single beat: Ling is Chinese, meaning 'spirit; delicate; tinkling jade' by character (said 'LING'). Soft and rare.

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Origin LowChinese

MeaningLing is a romanized Chinese name; its meaning depends entirely on the written character, ranging from 'spirit; soul' to 'delicate; graceful' to 'the tinkling sound of jade.' A soft, single-syllable name whose exact sense varies.

U.S. rank (2024)#12865 ↗ Rising

2024 U.S. births7 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1981

Total births (all-time)≈ 197

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Ling is a romanized Chinese name; its meaning depends on the character, spanning 'spirit; soul,' 'delicate; graceful,' and 'the tinkling of jade.' A single-syllable name, soft in sound, it appears rarely for girls in the U.S. outside Chinese families (said 'LING').

It surfaces mostly as a heritage name or a syllable within longer given names. Soft, single-beat, and meaning-rich.

Did you know? Ling is a romanized Chinese name whose meaning shifts with the written character - it can mean 'spirit,' 'delicate,' or 'the tinkling of jade,' so the sense depends on the character chosen (said 'LING').

Overall data confidence 45%

References - Ling — Chinese romanization; meaning depends on the character

Variations

LinLyngNing

Nicknames

LinLingy

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Ling…

Mei— a like soft Chinese girl's name

Jing— another -ing Chinese name

Jin— lands in the same popularity range

Jun— a similarly popular pick

Xi— a fellow Chinese choice

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Ling mean?

Ling is a Chinese name whose meaning depends on the character - it can mean 'spirit,' 'delicate,' or 'the tinkling of jade.'

How do you pronounce Ling?

It's said LING /ˈlɪŋ/ - one syllable.

Is Ling a boy or girl name?

Ling is used mostly as a girl's name.

How popular is Ling?

Ling is a rare name for girls in the U.S. outside families of Chinese heritage.