This page needs Javascript enabled in order to work properly. Click here for instructions on how to enable it in your browser.
Surname Header Image
Get access to Ding family records.Start a 14-Day Free Trial

Ding Family History

Ding Surname Meaning

Chinese: Mandarin or Cantonese form of the surname 丁 meaning ‘male adult’ or ‘population’ in Chinese: (i) from Qi Ding Gong (齊丁公 Duke Ding of Qi) posthumous title of Jiang Ji son of Jiang Ziya or Jiang Tai Gong (c. 11th century BC an official who lived during the Western Zhou dynasty). (ii) from the personal name of Ding Hou (丁侯) meaning ‘Marquis Ding’ title of an official during the late Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC).

(iii) from the personal name of Ding Kuang (丁匡) originally called Sun Kuang a grandson of Sun Quan (182–252 AD). Sun Quan was the king of the state of Wu (located mainly in present-day Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces) during the Three Kingdoms period (220–280 AD). His change of surname was ordered by his grandfather whose displeasure he had incurred. (iv) from the personal name of Ding Qing (丁慶) a person in the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127 AD) who changed his original name Yu to Ding (丁).

(v) the surname was also brought to China by immigrants from Central Asia. (vi) it can also be traced back to other minority ethnic groups such as the Shanyue group in southeastern China the Xianbei group in northern China and certain other groups in southwestern China.

Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 鄧 based on its Teochew Hokkien or Taiwanese pronunciation. See Deng. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 陳 possibly based on its Hokchew (Fuzhou) pronunciation a Min dialect spoken in the provincial capital of Fujian province see Chen.

English (Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire): nickname possibly denoting a metal worker from Middle English ding ‘blow or beating’.

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


Similar surnames: 

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Ding family from?

You can see how Ding families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Ding family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Ding families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 76 Ding families living in Cambridgeshire. This was about 37% of all the recorded Ding's in United Kingdom. Cambridgeshire had the highest population of Ding families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Ding surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Ding ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Builders Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Ding. 28% of Ding men worked as a Builders Labourer and 83% of Ding women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Ding were Engineers Labourer and Unpaid House Duties.

View Census Data for Ding | 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

  • Builders Labourer
    28%
  • Farm Labourer
    19%
  • Tractor Driver
    19%
  • Engineers Labourer
    19%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    83%
  • Incapacitated
    7%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Unpaid House Duties
    3%

What Ding family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 7,000 census records available for the last name Ding. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Ding census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Ding

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Ding. 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 Ding immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Ding. For the veterans among your Ding ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Ding military records

You've only scratched the surface of Ding family history

Discover More

What is the average Ding lifespan?

Between 1959 and 2004, in the United States, Ding life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1979, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Ding in 1959 was 42, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Ding

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Ding 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Ding family tree

Explore Your Tree
Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial