Pronunciation | Míng (Mandarin) |
---|---|
Language(s) | Chinese |
Origin | |
Language(s) | Old Chinese |
Meaning | "bright", "brilliance" |
Other names | |
Derivative(s) | Myung/Myeong (Korean) |
Ming is the Mandarin pinyin and Wade–Giles romanization of the Chinese surname written 明 in Chinese character. Ming is listed 111th in the Song dynasty classic text Hundred Family Surnames.[1] It is not among the 300 most common surnames in China, according to a 2008 study.[2] However, according to a 2013 study it was found to be the 249th most common, being shared by 340,000 people or .026% of the population, with the province with the most being Hubei.
Unrelated to the Chinese surname, Ming is also a common surname in Switzerland, originating in the Canton of Obwalden.[3][4]