Sterling
#1,098 for girls in 2025, 218 births · #345 for boys in 2025, 944 births
Given to boys 91.0% of the time
- Peak · boys
- 1895 · 35 births
- Debut · boys
- 17 births
- In top 100 · boys
- neverof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 37,474since 1880
Sterling over time
Rank within each sex, plotted together. Click any year to open it.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | #1,098 | 218 | #345 | 944 |
| 2024 | #1,114 | 219 | #370 | 885 |
| 2023 | #1,273 | 180 | #403 | 792 |
| 2022 | #1,362 | 171 | #397 | 803 |
| 2021 | #1,273 | 182 | #382 | 844 |
| 2020 | #1,678 | 122 | #399 | 768 |
| 2019 | #1,773 | 115 | #410 | 753 |
| 2018 | #1,663 | 126 | #409 | 783 |
| 2017 | #1,686 | 127 | #433 | 713 |
| 2016 | #1,636 | 133 | #458 | 671 |
| 2015 | #2,209 | 85 | #493 | 595 |
| 2014 | #2,027 | 97 | #507 | 552 |
| 2013 | #2,533 | 70 | #582 | 441 |
| 2012 | #2,708 | 65 | #675 | 350 |
| 2011 | #2,725 | 64 | #737 | 307 |
| 2010 | #3,159 | 52 | #755 | 299 |
| 2009 | #3,460 | 47 | #898 | 231 |
| 2008 | #3,584 | 45 | #866 | 245 |
| 2007 | #3,848 | 41 | #800 | 269 |
| 2006 | #3,054 | 55 | #769 | 270 |
| 2005 | #3,730 | 39 | #742 | 272 |
| 2004 | #2,620 | 63 | #675 | 300 |
| 2003 | #2,840 | 54 | #631 | 325 |
| 2002 | #2,158 | 77 | #589 | 357 |
| 2001 | #2,700 | 55 | #545 | 395 |
| 2000 | #2,174 | 73 | #567 | 363 |
| 1999 | #2,567 | 55 | #528 | 392 |
| 1998 | #2,164 | 66 | #505 | 424 |
| 1997 | #2,874 | 42 | #493 | 428 |
| 1996 | #2,207 | 61 | #462 | 469 |
| 1995 | #2,421 | 53 | #446 | 511 |
| 1994 | #1,972 | 71 | #402 | 573 |
| 1993 | #1,865 | 76 | #437 | 504 |
| 1992 | #2,351 | 55 | #438 | 503 |
| 1991 | #2,519 | 49 | #463 | 454 |
| 1990 | #2,799 | 41 | #463 | 451 |
| 1989 | #3,165 | 33 | #486 | 389 |
| 1988 | #2,539 | 42 | #443 | 415 |
| 1987 | #2,972 | 32 | #490 | 326 |
| 1986 | #3,360 | 26 | #512 | 297 |
| 1985 | #3,983 | 20 | #527 | 275 |
| 1984 | #3,527 | 23 | #490 | 293 |
| 1983 | #3,242 | 25 | #507 | 276 |
| 1982 | #3,898 | 20 | #559 | 237 |
| 1981 | #3,859 | 20 | #579 | 218 |
| 1980 | #4,517 | 16 | #548 | 242 |
| 1979 | #4,052 | 18 | #571 | 225 |
| 1978 | #4,242 | 16 | #555 | 226 |
| 1977 | #5,213 | 12 | #573 | 214 |
| 1976 | #7,296 | 7 | #591 | 189 |
| 1975 | #7,173 | 7 | #596 | 183 |
| 1974 | #4,227 | 14 | #575 | 195 |
| 1973 | #6,666 | 7 | #570 | 194 |
| 1972 | #6,558 | 7 | #589 | 183 |
| 1971 | #5,543 | 9 | #522 | 242 |
| 1970 | #4,038 | 14 | #546 | 221 |
| 1969 | #4,723 | 10 | #508 | 234 |
| 1968 | #5,147 | 8 | #483 | 246 |
| 1967 | #6,042 | 6 | #511 | 216 |
| 1966 | #5,809 | 6 | #490 | 239 |
| 1965 | #5,289 | 7 | #522 | 215 |
| 1964 | #6,767 | 5 | #470 | 284 |
| 1963 | — | #464 | 288 | |
| 1962 | — | #470 | 288 | |
| 1961 | #5,851 | 6 | #504 | 249 |
| 1960 | — | #515 | 237 | |
| 1959 | — | #487 | 259 | |
| 1958 | #6,103 | 5 | #496 | 245 |
| 1957 | — | #497 | 246 | |
| 1956 | #5,952 | 5 | #455 | 279 |
| 1955 | #4,069 | 9 | #455 | 267 |
| 1954 | — | #457 | 252 | |
| 1953 | — | #449 | 255 | |
| 1952 | #4,123 | 8 | #440 | 255 |
| 1951 | — | #420 | 260 | |
| 1950 | — | #421 | 252 | |
| 1949 | #4,235 | 7 | #422 | 260 |
| 1948 | #5,243 | 5 | #419 | 255 |
| 1947 | — | #409 | 281 | |
| 1946 | #3,430 | 9 | #417 | 232 |
| 1945 | #3,676 | 7 | #409 | 216 |
| 1944 | — | #416 | 211 | |
| 1943 | #4,691 | 5 | #422 | 217 |
| 1942 | #3,194 | 9 | #377 | 258 |
| 1941 | #3,559 | 7 | #413 | 200 |
| 1940 | — | #402 | 204 | |
| 1939 | #4,250 | 5 | #428 | 177 |
| 1938 | #3,847 | 6 | #414 | 188 |
| 1937 | — | #439 | 166 | |
| 1936 | — | #392 | 194 | |
| 1935 | — | #411 | 179 | |
| 1934 | #4,286 | 5 | #405 | 186 |
| 1933 | — | #397 | 186 | |
| 1932 | #4,411 | 5 | #369 | 227 |
| 1931 | #4,331 | 5 | #404 | 193 |
| 1930 | — | #402 | 208 | |
| 1929 | #4,053 | 6 | #356 | 250 |
| 1928 | #4,195 | 6 | #392 | 229 |
| 1927 | #4,286 | 6 | #385 | 236 |
| 1926 | — | #371 | 246 | |
| 1925 | — | #384 | 241 | |
| 1924 | — | #356 | 280 | |
| 1923 | #3,971 | 7 | #376 | 253 |
| 1922 | #3,379 | 9 | #364 | 270 |
| 1921 | #4,464 | 6 | #372 | 269 |
| 1920 | #3,957 | 7 | #373 | 259 |
| 1919 | — | #361 | 254 | |
| 1918 | #3,512 | 8 | #376 | 249 |
| 1917 | — | #383 | 218 | |
| 1916 | — | #390 | 202 | |
| 1915 | — | #372 | 209 | |
| 1914 | — | #385 | 151 | |
| 1913 | #2,827 | 6 | #362 | 132 |
| 1912 | — | #384 | 100 | |
| 1911 | — | #420 | 47 | |
| 1910 | — | #383 | 46 | |
| 1909 | — | #339 | 47 | |
| 1908 | — | #341 | 44 | |
| 1907 | — | #351 | 39 | |
| 1906 | — | #378 | 32 | |
| 1905 | — | #384 | 30 | |
| 1904 | — | #351 | 33 | |
| 1903 | — | #346 | 31 | |
| 1902 | — | #360 | 30 | |
| 1901 | — | #347 | 28 | |
| 1900 | — | #354 | 38 | |
| 1899 | — | #438 | 18 | |
| 1898 | — | #385 | 26 | |
| 1897 | — | #375 | 25 | |
| 1896 | — | #424 | 21 | |
| 1895 | — | #305 | 35 | |
| 1894 | — | #521 | 15 | |
| 1893 | — | #317 | 30 | |
| 1892 | — | #394 | 23 | |
| 1891 | — | #340 | 25 | |
| 1890 | — | #489 | 15 | |
| 1889 | — | #482 | 15 | |
| 1888 | — | #369 | 25 | |
| 1887 | — | #377 | 19 | |
| 1886 | — | #605 | 10 | |
| 1885 | — | #422 | 18 | |
| 1884 | — | #399 | 20 | |
| 1883 | — | #381 | 20 | |
| 1882 | — | #453 | 16 | |
| 1881 | — | #653 | 8 | |
| 1880 | — | #425 | 17 | |
In the first year the SSA published name data, Sterling was already there! It came in at #425, and was given to 17 baby boys.
Quietest stretch: 1881, when fewer than 9 boys a year got the name.
Where Sterling is popular in 1986
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
- Utah#137 · 1 in 787
- Nevada#187 · 1 in 1,277
- Oklahoma#249 · 1 in 2,044
- Washington#275 · 1 in 2,609
- Virginia#282 · 1 in 2,701
Best ever in a state: #69 in District of Columbia, 1915.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utah | #137 | 21 | 1 in 787 |
| Nevada | #187 | 5 | 1 in 1,277 |
| Oklahoma | #249 | 11 | 1 in 2,044 |
| Washington | #275 | 12 | 1 in 2,609 |
| Virginia | #282 | 14 | 1 in 2,701 |
| Maryland | #298 | 9 | 1 in 3,144 |
| New Mexico | #339 | 5 | 1 in 2,270 |
| North Carolina | #343 | 13 | 1 in 3,145 |
| Arizona | #382 | 8 | 1 in 3,402 |
| Louisiana | #396 | 11 | 1 in 3,095 |
| Wisconsin | #426 | 5 | 1 in 6,639 |
| Texas | #437 | 36 | 1 in 4,065 |
| Ohio | #450 | 10 | 1 in 7,549 |
| Tennessee | #465 | 5 | 1 in 6,263 |
| Michigan | #508 | 8 | 1 in 7,977 |
| Pennsylvania | #526 | 8 | 1 in 9,652 |
| Florida | #533 | 12 | 1 in 6,368 |
| California | #554 | 33 | 1 in 6,918 |
| New Jersey | #603 | 5 | 1 in 9,516 |
| Georgia | #645 | 5 | 1 in 8,837 |
| Illinois | #867 | 5 | 1 in 15,964 |
| New York | #970 | 7 | 1 in 17,456 |
| Alabama | — | — | — |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arkansas | — | — | — |
| Colorado | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Indiana | — | — | — |
| Iowa | — | — | — |
| Kansas | — | — | — |
| Kentucky | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Massachusetts | — | — | — |
| Minnesota | — | — | — |
| Mississippi | — | — | — |
| Missouri | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nebraska | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Oregon | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| South Carolina | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — |
| West Virginia | — | — | — |
| Wyoming | — | — | — |
Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.
See more about Sterling
- 25 spots since 2024 (#370 → #345)
- 54 spots since 2020 (#399 → #345)
- 148 spots since 2015 (#493 → #345)
- Biggest jump: 228 spots in 1887 (#605 → #377)
- Biggest drop: 228 spots in 1881 (#425 → #653)
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1895 at #305 (35 births)
- Not yet halved from its peak
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: never
- Top 1,000: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
- Highest: 1 in 1,809 boys born in 2025 were named Sterling (0.06%)
- Its best rank, #305 in 1895, was only 1 in 3,354 (0.03%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
- 14.6% of all boys named Sterling (5,464) were born in this decade
- The majority has never changed
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 168 | #369 (1888) | #457 |
| 1890s | 233 | #305 (1895) | #399 |
| 1900s | 352 | #339 (1909) | #355 |
| 1910s | 1,608 | #361 (1919) | #382 |
| 1920s | 2,533 | #356 (1924) | #373 |
| 1930s | 1,904 | #369 (1932) | #406 |
| 1940s | 2,334 | #377 (1942) | #411 |
| 1950s | 2,570 | #420 (1951) | #458 |
| 1960s | 2,496 | #464 (1963) | #494 |
| 1970s | 2,072 | #522 (1971) | #569 |
| 1980s | 2,968 | #443 (1988) | #514 |
| 1990s | 4,709 | #402 (1994) | #464 |
| 2000s | 3,027 | #545 (2001) | #708 |
| 2010s | 5,464 | #409 (2018) | #546 |
| 2020s | 5,036 | #345 (2025) | #383 |
All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.
Sterling in 1986
Top girls' names in 1986
Top boys' names in 1986
More about 1986
girls
1,715,547 girls got a published name in 1986; 1 in 65,983 of them was named Sterling, which outranked 73.8% of the 12,836 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 18.1% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
- #3,277Torrey27
- #3,277Tyneisha27
- #3,277Yer27
- #3,360Sterling26
- #3,360Alaine26
- #3,360Ally26
- #3,360Alvina26
- #3,459Adrea25
- #3,459Andreana25
- #3,459Annah25
Tied with 98 names at #3,360; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
1,841,515 boys got a published name in 1986; 1 in 6,200 of them was named Sterling, which outranked 93.5% of the 7,830 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 22.2% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).