Sterling Boy
How popular is Sterling?
#345 boy name in 2025
944 baby boys were named Sterling in the US in 2025, making it the 345th most popular boy name. Another 218 girls got the name (#1,098 for girls).
31,582living people named Sterling (est.)
26median age of people named Sterling
41,197babies named Sterling since 1880
1 in 2,853US babies born in 2025
Sterling popularity over time
Boys Girls
| Rank in 2025 | #345 for boys (▲ 25 from 2024) |
|---|---|
| Babies in 2025 | 944 boys, 218 girls |
| 10-year trend | Rising fast (+59% babies vs 2015) |
| Earlier ranks | #493 in 2015, #399 in 2020 |
| Peak year | 2025 (944 boys) |
| Highest rank | #305 in 1895 |
| First recorded | 1880 |
| Boys vs girls (last 10 years) | 83% boys, 17% girls |
| Chance a classmate shares it | 0.8% in a class of 25 kids born in 2025 |
Where Sterling is most popular
Babies named Sterling per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021 to 2025. Darker means more common.
Sterling by decade
| Decade | Baby boys | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 168 | #369 |
| 1890s | 233 | #305 |
| 1900s | 352 | #339 |
| 1910s | 1,608 | #361 |
| 1920s | 2,533 | #356 |
| 1930s | 1,904 | #369 |
| 1940s | 2,334 | #377 |
| 1950s | 2,570 | #419 |
| 1960s | 2,496 | #464 |
| 1970s | 2,072 | #522 |
| 1980s | 2,968 | #443 |
| 1990s | 4,709 | #402 |
| 2000s | 3,027 | #545 |
| 2010s | 5,464 | #409 |
| 2020s | 5,036 | #345 |
Boy names about as popular as Sterling
Questions
- Is Sterling a boy or girl name?
- Sterling is mostly a boy name. Over the last 10 years, 83% of babies named Sterling were boys.
- How popular is the name Sterling?
- 944 baby boys were named Sterling in the US in 2025, making it the 345th most popular boy name. Another 218 girls got the name (#1,098 for girls).
- When was Sterling most popular?
- Sterling peaked in 2025, when 944 boys were given the name. Its highest rank was #305 in 1895.
- How many people are named Sterling?
- 41,197 babies have been named Sterling in the US since 1880. We estimate about 31,582 of them are alive in 2026, with a median age of 26.
- Where is Sterling most popular?
- From 2021 to 2025, Sterling was most common in Montana, at 2.2 of every 1,000 boys born there.
Source: Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880 to 2025 (names given to at least 5 babies of a sex in a year). Living-people and median-age figures are our estimates using US life tables. How we calculate.