Ding

丁 — The fourth heavenly stem; strong, robust; a nail

7,300,000

Population

#48

Country Rank

0.52%

of Population

Chinese Names

Culture

Origin & History

The Ding surname has multiple origins. One major lineage descends from the Duke of Zhou's son Ding, whose clan took Ding as their surname after his posthumous title. A second origin connects the name to Muslim communities of the Hui people who adopted Ding as a phonetic rendering of the Arabic name Din (دين, meaning religion). The character 丁 represents a nail and the fourth of the Ten Heavenly Stems.