What does Yong mean?
Yong is commonly the character 勇, “brave, courageous.”
What does Ming mean?
Ming is commonly the character 明, “bright, brilliant.”
Yong vs Ming
Which is more popular?
Yong and Ming are given to a similar number of US babies today.
| Yong | Ming | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Brave (勇) | Bright (明) |
| Origin | Chinese | Chinese |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | YONG | MING |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| First appeared | 1941 | 1920 |
| Peak year | 1993 (13) | 1981 (14) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Yong
Ming
Source: US Social Security Administration.
Births by decade
| Decade | Yong | Ming |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 0 | 21 |
| 2010s | 0 | 41 |
| 2000s | 38 | 75 |
| 1990s | 81 | 80 |
| 1980s | 92 | 77 |
| 1970s | 35 | 33 |
| 1960s | 28 | 17 |
| 1950s | 6 | 0 |
| 1940s | 21 | 0 |
| 1920s | 0 | 5 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Yong or Ming more popular?
Yong and Ming are given to a similar number of US babies today.
What is the difference between Yong and Ming?
Yong means Brave (勇) (Chinese origin), while Ming means Bright (明) (Chinese origin).
Which name is older, Yong or Ming?
In US records, Yong first appears in 1941 and Ming in 1920, so Ming has the longer recorded history.