Ming Name Meaning: What Does Ming Mean for a Cat?

Ming means “bright; shining.” It is the Chinese name written 明, the character that joins the sun and the moon, and the one that named a dynasty.

What Does the Name Ming Mean?

Ming means “bright; shining.” It comes from the Chinese character 明 (míng), meaning “bright, clear,” and its origin is Chinese. The character is itself a small picture of the meaning: it sets 日, the sun, beside 月, the moon, the two brightest things in the sky, combined into one word for brightness. The meaning above is the verified literal one, not a personality guess, checked for this page against Wiktionary.

Because 明 is a single, resonant character, Ming is used as one element in many Chinese given names as well as standing alone, and it works for males and females alike.

Sun and moon, in a single syllable.

The Story Behind the Name Ming

The character’s most famous appearance is on an empire: the Ming dynasty, which ruled China from 1368 to 1644, took 明 as its dynastic name, the “Bright” dynasty, builder of much of the Great Wall as it stands today and producer of the blue-and-white porcelain still called Ming ware. A cat named Ming therefore carries, in one short sound, nearly three centuries of imperial history.

The best-known modern bearer is basketball giant Yao Ming. And New Yorkers of a certain vintage may remember another Ming: the tiger discovered living in a Harlem apartment in 2003, a reminder that the name seems to attach itself to cats, even very, very large ones. Among domestic cats, Ming is on the rise: Chewy lists it as the #7 fastest-rising cat name in its data.

What Kind of Cat Suits the Name Ming?

Ming is a single crisp syllable, short, clear and impossible to confuse with other household sounds, which makes it an excellent call name and a tidy choice in multi-cat homes where longer names blur together. It suits a sleek, bright-eyed, observant cat, and its unisex history means it works equally well for a tom or a queen.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the name Ming mean?

Ming means “bright; shining.” It is written with the Chinese character 明 (ming), which combines the characters for the sun and the moon.

Is Ming a good name for a cat?

Yes, Ming is listed for cats of either sex in our name database, and its meaning (“bright; shining”) gives the name real substance. As a single distinct syllable, it is one of the easiest names for a cat to recognise and answer to.

Is Ming a boy’s name or a girl’s name?

Both. Ming is used for males and females in Chinese naming, and it works the same way for cats, choose it for the cat it suits, whatever their sex.

Where can I find more names like Ming?

Ming appears in our 140 Cat Names From Around the World and 205 Unique Cat Names lists, and the full cat names hub gathers every collection in one place.

By Brianna Baxter

Meaning and origin verified against Wiktionary.