Unisex name · since 1912
Stirling
Stirling has 851 recorded births since 1912 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2015 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #5,691 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #4,406 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 851
- born since 1912
- 2010s
- peak decade
Yes -- Stirling is the #4406 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 851 recorded since 1912.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Stirling has been recorded 851 times among boys since 1912, currently ranked #4406 nationally and more common than 68% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1912 to 2025.
- #5,691 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #4,406 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 851 born since 1912
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Stirling ranks #5,691 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #4,406 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 851 born since 1912, peaking in the 2010s.
- #5,691 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #4,406 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 851
- born since 1912
- 2010s
- peak decade
Stirling's 851 recorded births place it above 87.48% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by California.
How Stirling compares
851 Top 34% higher than 66% of 13,930 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
Stirling's all-time total is 131% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Stirling | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 851 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 24 | 34 | 22,252 |
Stirling's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Stirling splits its recorded history at 1979: 65% of all births land in the more recent half, 35% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1915 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2015 peak of 24 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Stirling popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1912–2025
- Peak year (2015)
- 24
- Annual births at peak, across 114 years of records
Stirling popularity over time - girls
78 total births recorded since 1996 (Stirling as girls' name)
Stirling by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (174 births, 20% of the file).
2010s was Stirling's strongest decade.
174 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Stirling births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 29
1910s
29 births
- 1920s 55
1920s
55 births
- 1930s 30
1930s
30 births
- 1940s 44
1940s
44 births
- 1950s 41
1950s
41 births
- 1960s 58
1960s
58 births
- 1970s 48
1970s
48 births
- 1980s 47
1980s
47 births
- 1990s
1990s
114 births
- 2000s
2000s
109 births
- 2010s
2010s
174 births
- 2020s
2020s
102 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 174 births (20% of all-time use).
How Stirling 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 Stirling's total volume
Stirling by state
Where Stirling concentrates geographically, total births since 1912
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 12 | 1.4% |
12 of 851 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Stirling's data
- Stirling's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (174 total births) through the 2020s (102) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Stirlings (12 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Stirling
Nearby Names Like Stirling
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Stirling
Compare Stirling side by side: Stirling vs Stiles Stirling vs Stiven Stirling vs Stillman
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Stirling
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Stirling: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2015)
Similar record span (~113 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1912–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Stirling 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 August 2026.