Unisex · #5,786 in 2026

Stirling

Stirling is a usually masculine given name which may refer to:Stirling Colgate (1925–2013), American physicist at Los Alamos National Laboratory Stirling Fessenden (1875–1944), Chairman of the Shanghai Municipal Council Stirling Gallacher, English actress Stirling Hinchliffe, Australian politician Stirling Mortlock, Australian former professional rugby player Stirling Moss (1929–2020), English…

Current Rank
#5,786
Peak Rank
#1,867 (2015)
Total Babies
860
5-Yr Trend
-7%
👧 Girl peak #8,132 (78 total)
👦 Boy peak #1,867 (860 total)
👦As Boy Name
1912
First Year
2026
Last Year
2015
Peak Year
#1867
Peak Rank
860
Total Count
86
Years Active
👧As Girl Name
1996
First Year
2024
Last Year
1996
Peak Year
#8132
Peak Rank
78
Total Count
11
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Stirling

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Stirling is a usually masculine given name which may refer to:Stirling Colgate (1925–2013), American physicist at Los Alamos National Laboratory Stirling Fessenden (1875–1944), Chairman of the Shanghai Municipal Council Stirling Gallacher, English actress Stirling Hinchliffe, Australian politician Stirling Mortlock, Australian former professional rugby player Stirling Moss (1929–2020), English…

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Stirling

As a girl name

Stirling first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1996, with 10 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1996, when 10 Stirlings were born — ranking #8,132 that year. As of 2026, Stirling ranks #9,521 for girls with 10 births, with steady use. In total, more than 78 Stirlings have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.

As a boy name

Stirling first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1912, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2015, when 24 Stirlings were born — ranking #4,178 that year. As of 2026, Stirling ranks #5,786 for boys with 16 births, gradually falling (-7%). In total, more than 860 Stirlings have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Girls Boys

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Stirling

Phonetically similar names — useful when Stirling is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

  • Sterling
  • String
  • Stealing
  • Styling
  • Stalling
  • Stirring
  • Swirling
  • Strolling
  • Starling
  • Steeling
  • Stilling
  • Stelling

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Stirling

What does the name Stirling mean?
Stirling is a usually masculine given name which may refer to:Stirling Colgate (1925–2013), American physicist at Los Alamos National Laboratory Stirling Fessenden (1875–1944), Chairman of the Shanghai Municipal Council Stirling Gallacher, English actress Stirling Hinchliffe, Australian politician Stirling Mortlock, Australian former professional rugby player Stirling Moss (1929–2020), English…
How popular is Stirling in 2026?
In 2026, Stirling ranks #5,786 among boys' names in the U.S., with 16 babies given the name that year.
When was Stirling most popular?
Stirling reached its peak popularity in 2015, ranking #1,867 that year with 24 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Stirling most popular?
Stirling has historically been most popular in California. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Stirling.
Is Stirling a unisex name?
Yes — Stirling is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 8% of Stirlings assigned female and 92% assigned male historically.
What names go well with Stirling?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Stirling include Young, Gearl, Arun. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Stirling

Stirling is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1912 and has accumulated 860 births in the dataset. Stirling's peak popularity came in 2015 when it ranked #1,867. Use the chart and map above to compare Stirling's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.