What does Xia mean?
Xia is commonly the character 霞, “the rosy glow of dawn,” or 夏, “summer.”
What does Ling mean?
Ling is commonly the character 玲, the tinkling of fine jade, or 灵, “spirit, quick.”
Xia vs Ling
Which is more popular?
Xia is more popular than Ling today: about 25 US babies were given the name Xia in 2025, compared with 0 named Ling.
| Xia | Ling | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Rosy dawn clouds (霞) | Delicate jade (玲) |
| Origin | Chinese | Chinese |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | SHYAH | LING |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| First appeared | 1981 | 1977 |
| Peak year | 2019 (37) | 1981 (13) |
| In 2025 | 25 | 0 |
| Trend | Rising | Declining |
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Xia
Ling
Source: US Social Security Administration.
Births by decade
| Decade | Xia | Ling |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 179 | 7 |
| 2010s | 251 | 30 |
| 2000s | 145 | 33 |
| 1990s | 120 | 42 |
| 1980s | 108 | 75 |
| 1970s | 0 | 10 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Xia or Ling more popular?
Xia is more popular than Ling today: about 25 US babies were given the name Xia in 2025, compared with 0 named Ling.
What is the difference between Xia and Ling?
Xia means Rosy dawn clouds (霞) (Chinese origin), while Ling means Delicate jade (玲) (Chinese origin).
Which name is older, Xia or Ling?
In US records, Xia first appears in 1981 and Ling in 1977, so Ling has the longer recorded history.