Sterling
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- STER-ling
- Origin
- English
- UK rank, 2025
- #1,162 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #345 for boys
Sterling is a boys' name of English origin, meaning “genuine, excellent”. In 2025 it ranked 1,162nd for boys in the UK (27 babies) and 345th for boys in the US (944 babies).
What does Sterling mean?
English: English word and surname
“genuine, excellent”
From the English word for pure silver money, also meaning thoroughly excellent; the surname can also come from Stirling in Scotland.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Sterling a girl's or a boy's name?
Sterling is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 27 boys in the UK and 218 girls and 944 boys in the US.
How popular is Sterling in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,162among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 27about 1 in 11,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadyup 24% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 27 boys in the UK were named Sterling, making it the 1,162nd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,206th.
2025 had the most boys named Sterling of any year since it first appeared, in 1997.
Half of all the boys named Sterling in the UK since 1996 were born between 2014 and 2022, the years shaded on the chart below.
Among boys in 2025, it was 1,196th in England and Wales and 762nd in Scotland.
Sterling in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 27 | #1,162 |
| 2024 | 16 | #1,664 |
| 2023 | 24 | #1,247 |
| 2022 | 25 | #1,181 |
| 2021 | 26 | #1,166 |
| 2020 | 24 | #1,206 |
| 2019 | 19 | #1,412 |
| 2018 | 11 | #2,088 |
| 2017 | 18 | #1,490 |
| 2016 | 18 | #1,512 |
| 2015 | 12 | #1,990 |
| 2014 | 6 | #3,125 |
| 2013 | 7 | #2,792 |
| 2012 | 9 | #2,382 |
| 2011 | 5 | #3,446 |
| 2010 | 7 | #2,775 |
| 2009 | 0 | – |
| 2008 | 0 | – |
| 2007 | 10 | #1,987 |
| 2006 | 4 | #3,522 |
| 2005 | 6 | #2,545 |
| 2004 | 0 | – |
| 2003 | 5 | #2,574 |
| 2002 | 0 | – |
| 2001 | 0 | – |
| 2000 | 4 | #2,612 |
| 1999 | 6 | #1,941 |
| 1998 | 3 | #3,021 |
| 1997 | 4 | #2,438 |
How popular is Sterling in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #345among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 944about 1 in 1,800 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadyup 14% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 944 boys in the US were named Sterling, making it the 345th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 399th. 218 girls were also named Sterling in 2025 (1,098th for girls).
2025 had the most boys named Sterling of any year since the records began in 1880.
Half of all the boys named Sterling in the US since 1880 were born between 1950 and 2013, the years shaded on the chart below.
Girls were 4% of the babies named Sterling in the US in 1913, and 19% in 2025.
Sterling in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 944 | #345 |
| 2024 | 885 | #370 |
| 2023 | 792 | #403 |
| 2022 | 803 | #397 |
| 2021 | 844 | #382 |
| 2020 | 768 | #399 |
| 2019 | 753 | #410 |
| 2018 | 783 | #409 |
| 2017 | 713 | #433 |
| 2016 | 671 | #458 |
| 2015 | 595 | #493 |
| 2014 | 552 | #507 |
| 2013 | 441 | #582 |
| 2012 | 350 | #675 |
| 2011 | 307 | #737 |
| 2010 | 299 | #755 |
| 2009 | 231 | #898 |
| 2008 | 245 | #866 |
| 2007 | 269 | #800 |
| 2006 | 270 | #769 |
| 2005 | 272 | #742 |
| 2004 | 300 | #675 |
| 2003 | 325 | #631 |
| 2002 | 357 | #589 |
| 2001 | 395 | #545 |
| 2000 | 363 | #567 |
| 1999 | 392 | #528 |
| 1998 | 424 | #505 |
| 1997 | 428 | #493 |
| 1996 | 469 | #462 |
| 1995 | 511 | #446 |
| 1994 | 573 | #402 |
| 1993 | 504 | #437 |
| 1992 | 503 | #438 |
| 1991 | 454 | #463 |
| 1990 | 451 | #462 |
| 1989 | 389 | #486 |
| 1988 | 415 | #443 |
| 1987 | 326 | #490 |
| 1986 | 297 | #512 |
| 1985 | 275 | #527 |
| 1984 | 293 | #490 |
| 1983 | 276 | #507 |
| 1982 | 237 | #559 |
| 1981 | 218 | #579 |
| 1980 | 242 | #548 |
| 1979 | 225 | #571 |
| 1978 | 226 | #555 |
| 1977 | 214 | #573 |
| 1976 | 189 | #591 |
| 1975 | 183 | #596 |
| 1974 | 195 | #575 |
| 1973 | 194 | #570 |
| 1972 | 183 | #589 |
| 1971 | 242 | #522 |
| 1970 | 221 | #546 |
| 1969 | 234 | #508 |
| 1968 | 246 | #483 |
| 1967 | 216 | #511 |
| 1966 | 239 | #490 |
| 1965 | 215 | #522 |
| 1964 | 284 | #470 |
| 1963 | 288 | #464 |
| 1962 | 288 | #470 |
| 1961 | 249 | #504 |
| 1960 | 237 | #515 |
| 1959 | 259 | #487 |
| 1958 | 245 | #495 |
| 1957 | 246 | #496 |
| 1956 | 279 | #454 |
| 1955 | 267 | #454 |
| 1954 | 252 | #456 |
| 1953 | 255 | #448 |
| 1952 | 255 | #439 |
| 1951 | 260 | #419 |
| 1950 | 252 | #420 |
| 1949 | 260 | #421 |
| 1948 | 255 | #419 |
| 1947 | 281 | #409 |
| 1946 | 232 | #417 |
| 1945 | 216 | #409 |
| 1944 | 211 | #416 |
| 1943 | 217 | #422 |
| 1942 | 258 | #377 |
| 1941 | 200 | #413 |
| 1940 | 204 | #402 |
| 1939 | 177 | #428 |
| 1938 | 188 | #414 |
| 1937 | 166 | #439 |
| 1936 | 194 | #392 |
| 1935 | 179 | #411 |
| 1934 | 186 | #405 |
| 1933 | 186 | #397 |
| 1932 | 227 | #369 |
| 1931 | 193 | #404 |
| 1930 | 208 | #402 |
| 1929 | 250 | #356 |
| 1928 | 229 | #392 |
| 1927 | 236 | #385 |
| 1926 | 246 | #371 |
| 1925 | 241 | #384 |
| 1924 | 280 | #356 |
| 1923 | 253 | #376 |
| 1922 | 270 | #364 |
| 1921 | 269 | #372 |
| 1920 | 259 | #373 |
| 1919 | 254 | #361 |
| 1918 | 249 | #376 |
| 1917 | 218 | #383 |
| 1916 | 202 | #390 |
| 1915 | 209 | #372 |
| 1914 | 151 | #385 |
| 1913 | 132 | #362 |
| 1912 | 100 | #384 |
| 1911 | 47 | #420 |
| 1910 | 46 | #383 |
| 1909 | 47 | #339 |
| 1908 | 44 | #341 |
| 1907 | 39 | #351 |
| 1906 | 32 | #378 |
| 1905 | 30 | #384 |
| 1904 | 33 | #351 |
| 1903 | 31 | #346 |
| 1902 | 30 | #360 |
| 1901 | 28 | #347 |
| 1900 | 38 | #354 |
| 1899 | 18 | #438 |
| 1898 | 26 | #385 |
| 1897 | 25 | #375 |
| 1896 | 21 | #424 |
| 1895 | 35 | #305 |
| 1894 | 15 | #521 |
| 1893 | 30 | #317 |
| 1892 | 23 | #394 |
| 1891 | 25 | #340 |
| 1890 | 15 | #489 |
| 1889 | 15 | #482 |
| 1888 | 25 | #369 |
| 1887 | 19 | #377 |
| 1886 | 10 | #605 |
| 1885 | 18 | #422 |
| 1884 | 20 | #399 |
| 1883 | 20 | #381 |
| 1882 | 16 | #453 |
| 1881 | 8 | #653 |
| 1880 | 17 | #425 |
Names like Sterling
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Sonny Hudson Oakley Hunter Theo Grayson Mason Carter Felix Noah Leo Harrison
Names related to Sterling
More English names
Lily Evelyn Ivy Harper Grace Violet Willow Daisy Poppy Riley Cooper Ruby Hallie Hazel River Ellie
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Sterling: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/sterling, updated 20 October 2026.