Sterling
Sterling is a given name from the Old English staerling, referring to the bird, starling; two variants of the name are Starling and Stirling.
Meaning & Origin of Sterling
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Sterling is a given name from the Old English staerling, referring to the bird, starling; two variants of the name are Starling and Stirling.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Sterling
As a girl name
Sterling first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1913, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 229 Sterlings were born — ranking #1,075 that year. As of 2026, Sterling ranks #1,075 for girls with 229 births, rising sharply (+51% over the past five years). In total, more than 4K Sterlings have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Sterling first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1880, with 17 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2024, when 880 Sterlings were born — ranking #372 that year. As of 2026, Sterling ranks #374 for boys with 872 births, gradually rising (+9%). In total, more than 38K Sterlings have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Sterling
Phonetically similar names — useful when Sterling is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Sterling
What does the name Sterling mean?
How popular is Sterling in 2026?
When was Sterling most popular?
In which U.S. states is Sterling most popular?
Is Sterling a unisex name?
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About the name Sterling
Sterling is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 38K births in the dataset. Sterling's peak popularity came in 2024 when it ranked #305. Use the chart and map above to compare Sterling's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2024 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "S" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.