Is Sterling a boy or girl name?
Sterling is mostly a boy name in the US. In 2024, 218 girls and 880 boys were named Sterling, so 19.9% were girls. Across 1880–2024, 8.8% of the 40,025 US babies named Sterling were girls.
- Boy rank, 2024
- #372
- Girl rank, 2024
- #1,117
- Babies named Sterling since 1880
- 40,025
- Most popular year
- 2024
- 1,098 babies
Boys and girls named Sterling, by decade
| Decade | Boys | Girls | Share girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 168 | 0 | 0% |
| 1890s | 233 | 0 | 0% |
| 1900s | 352 | 0 | 0% |
| 1910s | 1,608 | 14 | 0.9% |
| 1920s | 2,533 | 47 | 1.8% |
| 1930s | 1,904 | 26 | 1.3% |
| 1940s | 2,334 | 49 | 2.1% |
| 1950s | 2,570 | 27 | 1% |
| 1960s | 2,496 | 48 | 1.9% |
| 1970s | 2,072 | 111 | 5.1% |
| 1980s | 2,967 | 257 | 8% |
| 1990s | 4,709 | 569 | 10.8% |
| 2000s | 3,027 | 549 | 15.4% |
| 2010s | 5,463 | 934 | 14.6% |
| 2020s | 4,085 | 873 | 17.6% |
Every year
| Year | Boys | Boy rank | Girls | Girl rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 880 | #372 | 218 | #1,117 |
| 2023 | 792 | #403 | 180 | #1,274 |
| 2022 | 802 | #398 | 171 | #1,364 |
| 2021 | 844 | #382 | 182 | #1,274 |
| 2020 | 767 | #400 | 122 | #1,685 |
| 2019 | 753 | #410 | 115 | #1,785 |
| 2018 | 783 | #409 | 126 | #1,669 |
| 2017 | 712 | #436 | 127 | #1,695 |
| 2016 | 671 | #458 | 133 | #1,642 |
| 2015 | 595 | #493 | 85 | #2,231 |
| 2014 | 552 | #507 | 97 | #2,033 |
| 2013 | 441 | #583 | 70 | #2,564 |
| 2012 | 350 | #675 | 65 | #2,733 |
| 2011 | 307 | #739 | 64 | #2,757 |
| 2010 | 299 | #755 | 52 | #3,198 |
| 2009 | 231 | #899 | 47 | #3,507 |
| 2008 | 245 | #869 | 45 | #3,641 |
| 2007 | 269 | #800 | 41 | #3,909 |
| 2006 | 270 | #772 | 55 | #3,084 |
| 2005 | 272 | #743 | 39 | #3,804 |
| 2004 | 300 | #675 | 63 | #2,647 |
| 2003 | 325 | #632 | 54 | #2,877 |
| 2002 | 357 | #589 | 77 | #2,177 |
| 2001 | 395 | #545 | 55 | #2,737 |
| 2000 | 363 | #569 | 73 | #2,188 |
| 1999 | 392 | #531 | 55 | #2,603 |
| 1998 | 424 | #505 | 66 | #2,184 |
| 1997 | 428 | #494 | 42 | #2,929 |
| 1996 | 469 | #463 | 61 | #2,227 |
| 1995 | 511 | #446 | 53 | #2,452 |
| 1994 | 573 | #402 | 71 | #1,993 |
| 1993 | 504 | #437 | 76 | #1,878 |
| 1992 | 503 | #440 | 55 | #2,382 |
| 1991 | 454 | #463 | 49 | #2,545 |
| 1990 | 451 | #463 | 41 | #2,845 |
| 1989 | 389 | #486 | 33 | #3,244 |
| 1988 | 415 | #444 | 42 | #2,589 |
| 1987 | 326 | #491 | 32 | #3,026 |
| 1986 | 297 | #513 | 26 | #3,443 |
| 1985 | 274 | #527 | 20 | #4,113 |
| 1984 | 293 | #490 | 23 | #3,600 |
| 1983 | 276 | #508 | 25 | #3,325 |
| 1982 | 237 | #559 | 20 | #4,011 |
| 1981 | 218 | #581 | 20 | #3,987 |
| 1980 | 242 | #550 | 16 | #4,710 |
| 1979 | 225 | #571 | 18 | #4,205 |
| 1978 | 226 | #556 | 16 | #4,427 |
| 1977 | 214 | #573 | 12 | #5,491 |
| 1976 | 189 | #593 | 7 | #8,009 |
| 1975 | 183 | #600 | 7 | #7,850 |
| 1974 | 195 | #575 | 14 | #4,425 |
| 1973 | 194 | #570 | 7 | #7,329 |
| 1972 | 183 | #589 | 7 | #7,174 |
| 1971 | 242 | #523 | 9 | #5,933 |
| 1970 | 221 | #548 | 14 | #4,229 |
| 1969 | 234 | #509 | 10 | #5,012 |
| 1968 | 246 | #485 | 8 | #5,581 |
| 1967 | 216 | #512 | 6 | #6,691 |
| 1966 | 239 | #490 | 6 | #6,471 |
| 1965 | 215 | #523 | 7 | #5,741 |
| 1964 | 284 | #471 | 5 | #7,676 |
| 1963 | 288 | #465 | 0 | – |
| 1962 | 288 | #469 | 0 | – |
| 1961 | 249 | #505 | 6 | #6,477 |
| 1960 | 237 | #516 | 0 | – |
| 1959 | 259 | #487 | 0 | – |
| 1958 | 245 | #498 | 5 | #6,911 |
| 1957 | 246 | #497 | 0 | – |
| 1956 | 279 | #456 | 5 | #6,780 |
| 1955 | 267 | #457 | 9 | #4,340 |
| 1954 | 252 | #458 | 0 | – |
| 1953 | 255 | #450 | 0 | – |
| 1952 | 255 | #440 | 8 | #4,437 |
| 1951 | 260 | #421 | 0 | – |
| 1950 | 252 | #422 | 0 | – |
| 1949 | 260 | #423 | 7 | #4,615 |
| 1948 | 255 | #421 | 5 | #5,944 |
| 1947 | 281 | #409 | 0 | – |
| 1946 | 232 | #419 | 9 | #3,639 |
| 1945 | 216 | #410 | 7 | #3,984 |
| 1944 | 211 | #416 | 0 | – |
| 1943 | 217 | #422 | 5 | #5,296 |
| 1942 | 258 | #379 | 9 | #3,410 |
| 1941 | 200 | #413 | 7 | #3,914 |
| 1940 | 204 | #402 | 0 | – |
| 1939 | 177 | #429 | 5 | #4,872 |
| 1938 | 188 | #415 | 6 | #4,291 |
| 1937 | 166 | #439 | 0 | – |
| 1936 | 194 | #393 | 0 | – |
| 1935 | 179 | #413 | 0 | – |
| 1934 | 186 | #409 | 5 | #4,882 |
| 1933 | 186 | #397 | 0 | – |
| 1932 | 227 | #371 | 5 | #5,005 |
| 1931 | 193 | #405 | 5 | #4,888 |
| 1930 | 208 | #404 | 0 | – |
| 1929 | 250 | #356 | 6 | #4,502 |
| 1928 | 229 | #392 | 6 | #4,660 |
| 1927 | 236 | #386 | 6 | #4,738 |
| 1926 | 246 | #371 | 0 | – |
| 1925 | 241 | #385 | 0 | – |
| 1924 | 280 | #356 | 0 | – |
| 1923 | 253 | #376 | 7 | #4,324 |
| 1922 | 270 | #364 | 9 | #3,624 |
| 1921 | 269 | #372 | 6 | #5,025 |
| 1920 | 259 | #374 | 7 | #4,337 |
| 1919 | 254 | #361 | 0 | – |
| 1918 | 249 | #376 | 8 | #3,813 |
| 1917 | 218 | #384 | 0 | – |
| 1916 | 202 | #391 | 0 | – |
| 1915 | 209 | #373 | 0 | – |
| 1914 | 151 | #385 | 0 | – |
| 1913 | 132 | #362 | 6 | #3,139 |
| 1912 | 100 | #385 | 0 | – |
| 1911 | 47 | #425 | 0 | – |
| 1910 | 46 | #390 | 0 | – |
| 1909 | 47 | #343 | 0 | – |
| 1908 | 44 | #344 | 0 | – |
| 1907 | 39 | #358 | 0 | – |
| 1906 | 32 | #385 | 0 | – |
| 1905 | 30 | #390 | 0 | – |
| 1904 | 33 | #353 | 0 | – |
| 1903 | 31 | #352 | 0 | – |
| 1902 | 30 | #365 | 0 | – |
| 1901 | 28 | #352 | 0 | – |
| 1900 | 38 | #356 | 0 | – |
| 1899 | 18 | #454 | 0 | – |
| 1898 | 26 | #390 | 0 | – |
| 1897 | 25 | #382 | 0 | – |
| 1896 | 21 | #436 | 0 | – |
| 1895 | 35 | #308 | 0 | – |
| 1894 | 15 | #536 | 0 | – |
| 1893 | 30 | #321 | 0 | – |
| 1892 | 23 | #403 | 0 | – |
| 1891 | 25 | #348 | 0 | – |
| 1890 | 15 | #509 | 0 | – |
| 1889 | 15 | #494 | 0 | – |
| 1888 | 25 | #374 | 0 | – |
| 1887 | 19 | #390 | 0 | – |
| 1886 | 10 | #640 | 0 | – |
| 1885 | 18 | #436 | 0 | – |
| 1884 | 20 | #413 | 0 | – |
| 1883 | 20 | #396 | 0 | – |
| 1882 | 16 | #466 | 0 | – |
| 1881 | 8 | #695 | 0 | – |
| 1880 | 17 | #440 | 0 | – |
Highest rank
As a boy name, Sterling reached #308 in 1895. As a girl name, it reached #1,117 in 2024. Ranks count every name SSA published for that year and sex, so they go well past the top 1,000.
Names from the same era
These names were also most popular in the 2020s, with a similar number of babies. They can work as sibling or middle names that feel like they belong together.
Names spelled like Sterling
Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880–2024. Counts are Social Security card applications for US births; SSA leaves out names given to fewer than 5 babies in a year. Updated 2026-10-05. How these numbers are made.