Total births
851
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.
- #5929
- among boys today
- 851
- born since 1912
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 59%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Stirling is the #5929 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 #5929 nationally and more common than 59% 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.
- #5929 among boys today
- 851 born since 1912
- 2010s peak decade
- 59% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Stirling is currently the #5929 unisex name in America, more common than 59% of boys - 851 born since 1912, peaking in the 2010s.
- #5929
- among boys today
- 851
- born since 1912
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 59%
- more common than other boys
Stirling vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#5929
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 59% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Stirling was born in this single decade.
2015
Single peak year
24 babies were named Stirling in 2015 - its busiest year on record.
How Stirling compares
851 Top 33% higher than 67% 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
Stirling's all-time total is 132% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Stirling | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 851 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 24 | 23 | 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 at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2015
Current rank
#5,929
Active since
1912
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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 vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Stirling by state
Where Stirling concentrates geographically, total births since 1912
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 12 | 1.4% |
California share of Stirling's total US births 1.4%
12 of 851 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Stirling? ▼
851 babies have been named Stirling since 1912. It currently ranks #5929 among boys. The peak year was 2015 with 24 births.
When was Stirling most popular? ▼
Stirling was most popular in the 2010s decade with 174 total births. The single peak year was 2015.
Where is Stirling most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Stirling are California (12 births).
Is Stirling a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Stirling is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 851 births, and as a girl's name it has 78 births.
How long has the name Stirling been used? ▼
Stirling has been recorded in Social Security data since 1912, spanning 114 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Stirling? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Stiles, Stiven, Stillman, Stihl, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
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
- 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 Stirling
Nearby Names Like Stirling
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Stirling
Stiles Boy
#1712 949 births
Stiven Boy
#4980 281 births
Stillman Boy
276 births
Stihl Boy
94 births
Stinson Boy
#11065 62 births
Compare Stirling side by side: Stirling vs Stiles Stirling vs Stiven Stirling vs Stillman
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Stirling
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, 1912–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Stirling: #5929 Unisex Name - 851 Births, Peak 2015." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/stirling. 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 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 June 2026.