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Ming Family History

Ming Surname Meaning

English: possibly from a shortened form of Mingay from the Breton personal name Menguy (composed of the Breton elements men ‘stone’ and ki ‘dog’). The personal name was introduced to England after the Conquest by Breton followers of the Normans.

Chinese: Mandarin or Cantonese form of the surname 明: (i) from the personal name Ming (明) which was the style name of Meng Ming Shi (孟明視) a famous general in the state of Qin during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (ii) adopted as a surname during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD) by the Yi Dou Juan (壹鬥眷) family who were members of the Xianbei ethnic group in ancient northern China.

Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 閔 see Min Chinese: Teochew Hokkien or Taiwanese form of the surname 孟 see Meng These dialects can be found in eastern Guangdong Fujian and Taiwan from where many people migrated to Singapore Malaysia Thailand and other parts of Southeast Asia.

Chinese: possibly from Cantonese form of the Chinese names 明 (meaning ‘bright’) or 銘 (meaning ‘inscription’) or 鳴 (meaning ‘singing of birds’) which were monosyllabic personal names or part of disyllabic personal names of some early Chinese immigrants in the US.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Ming family from?

You can see how Ming families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Ming family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Ming families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 62 Ming families living in London. This was about 39% of all the recorded Ming's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Ming families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Ming surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Ming ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Cook and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Ming. 50% of Ming men worked as a Cook and 83% of Ming women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Ming were Retired and Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Ming | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • Cook
    50%
  • Retired
    50%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    83%
  • Incapacitated
    12%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    6%

What Ming family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 15,000 census records available for the last name Ming. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Ming census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Ming

Passenger Lists

There are 9,000 immigration records available for the last name Ming. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Ming immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 10,000 military records available for the last name Ming. For the veterans among your Ming ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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You've only scratched the surface of Ming family history

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What is the average Ming lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Ming life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 1981. The average life expectancy for Ming in 1943 was 46, and 82 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Ming

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Ming ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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