Total births
37,474
Unisex name · since 1880
Sterling
Sterling has 37,474 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2025 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #370
- among boys today
- 37,474
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other boys
37,474 babies have been named Sterling since 1880, making it today's #370 unisex name.
Sterling has 37,474 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #370 as of the latest data, more common than 97% of boys, busiest in the 2010s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #370 among boys today
- 37,474 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 97% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Sterling is currently the #370 unisex name in America, more common than 97% of boys - 37,474 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #370
- among boys today
- 37,474
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other boys
Sterling vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#370
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 97% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
15% of everyone ever named Sterling was born in this single decade.
2025
Single peak year
944 babies were named Sterling in 2025 - its busiest year on record.
How Sterling compares
37,474 Top 4% higher than 96% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Sterling's all-time total is 102x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Sterling | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 37,474 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 944 | 23 | 22,252 |
Sterling's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Sterling's full recorded timeline at 1953, 74% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 26% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1881, with just 8 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2025 peak of 944 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Sterling at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2025
Current rank
#370
Active since
1880
Sterling popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2025)
- 944
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Sterling popularity over time - girls
3,723 total births recorded since 1913 (Sterling as girls' name)
Sterling by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Sterling's strongest decade.
5,464 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 15% of all-time use.
Sterling births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 168
1880s
168 births
- 1890s 233
1890s
233 births
- 1900s 352
1900s
352 births
- 1910s 1,608
1910s
1,608 births
- 1920s
1920s
2,533 births
- 1930s 1,904
1930s
1,904 births
- 1940s
1940s
2,334 births
- 1950s
1950s
2,570 births
- 1960s
1960s
2,496 births
- 1970s 2,072
1970s
2,072 births
- 1980s
1980s
2,968 births
- 1990s
1990s
4,709 births
- 2000s
2000s
3,027 births
- 2010s
2010s
5,464 births
- 2020s
2020s
5,036 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 5,464 births (15% of all-time use).
How Sterling compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Sterling's total volume
Sterling vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Sterling by state
Where Sterling concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 3,701 | 9.9% |
| #2 | California | | 2,661 | 7.1% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 1,631 | 4.4% |
| #4 | Virginia | | 1,505 | 4.0% |
| #5 | North Carolina | | 1,360 | 3.6% |
| #6 | Louisiana | | 1,298 | 3.5% |
| #7 | Florida | | 1,220 | 3.3% |
| #8 | New York | | 1,169 | 3.1% |
Texas share of Sterling's total US births 9.9%
Even split
3,701 of 37,474 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 49 reporting states.
Sterling appears in 49 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Sterling? ▼
37,474 babies have been named Sterling since 1880. It currently ranks #370 among boys. The peak year was 2025 with 944 births.
When was Sterling most popular? ▼
Sterling was most popular in the 2010s decade with 5,464 total births. The single peak year was 2025.
Where is Sterling most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Sterling are Texas (3,701 births), California (2,661 births), Pennsylvania (1,631 births).
Is Sterling a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Sterling is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 37,474 births, and as a girl's name it has 3,723 births.
How long has the name Sterling been used? ▼
Sterling has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Sterling? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Steven, Stephen, Steve, Stewart, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Sterling's data
- Sterling's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (5,464 total births) through the 2020s (5,036) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Sterlings (3,701 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Sterling
Nearby Names Like Sterling
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Sterling
Steven Boy
#268 1,293,124 births
Stephen Boy
#374 864,739 births
Steve Boy
#1686 241,224 births
Stewart Boy
#3898 31,200 births
Stephan Boy
#1711 27,681 births
Compare Sterling side by side: Sterling vs Steven Sterling vs Stephen Sterling vs Steve
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Sterling
Rylan #369
34,532 births · Peak 2011
Killian #371
16,219 births · Peak 2017
Desmond #368
40,031 births · Peak 1992
Grady #372
52,474 births · Peak 2008
Russell #367
359,780 births · Peak 1960
Ricardo #373
146,456 births · Peak 1998
Banks #366
6,459 births · Peak 2025
Stephen #374
864,739 births · Peak 1952
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Sterling: #370 Unisex Name - 37,474 Births, Peak 2025." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/sterling. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Sterling draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.