Sterling Boy

Popularity: #327 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: STUR-ling //ˈstɜːr.lɪŋ//

Origin: English; Old French

Meaning: English: 'of the star'; Old French: 'little star'

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Sterling has its roots in the Old English word "styrling," which referred to a small star or a little star, deriving from the Proto-Germanic *sternō, meaning star. This etymology reflects a connection to the celestial, suggesting brightness or excellence.

The term evolved through various forms, including Middle English, before being adopted into modern English. The name is also associated with the term "sterling silver," which denotes high-quality silver, further enhancing its connotation of value and purity.

Historically, the name Sterling has been linked to various notable figures and events. In the 12th century, the term "sterling" was used to describe a type of silver penny minted in England, which became a standard for currency and trade.

This association with monetary value contributed to the name's prestige. Additionally, the name appears in historical records, including references to Sterling as a surname in the 13th century, indicating its use among the nobility and landowners in medieval England.

Culturally, the name Sterling has been embraced in various contexts, often symbolizing quality and excellence. The use of the name in literature and art has reinforced its positive connotations, with characters named Sterling often depicted as noble or virtuous.

The name's association with the star motif also lends it a sense of aspiration and guidance. In some instances, diminutive forms such as Ster or Stirl have emerged, though these are less common.

Overall, the name Sterling carries a rich historical and cultural significance, rooted in notions of brightness, value, and nobility.

Famous people named Sterling

In this section, you will find notable people named Sterling. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Sterling who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Sterling who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Sterling K. Brown is an actor best known for This Is Us, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, and Black Panther.

Sterling Hayden is an actor and author best known for Dr. Strangelove, The Godfather, and The Killing.

Sterling Morrison was a musician best known for being a guitarist in The Velvet Underground.

Sterling Archer is a fictional character best known as the main character in the animated television series Archer.

Fictional characters named Sterling

The following list of fictional characters named Sterling is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Sterling Archer is a fictional character from the animated television series Archer. He is a highly skilled but often reckless secret agent working for the International Secret Intelligence Service (ISIS).

Sterling Silver is a fictional character from the comic book series Sonic the Hedgehog. He is a treasure hunter and a member of the Freedom Fighters, known for his adventurous spirit.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Sterling, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Sterling. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Sterling was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Sterling has ranked as high as #568 nationally, which occurred in 2025, and has been most popular in Texas, California, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and North Carolina.

In the past 5 years the name Sterling has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Sterling is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Sterling was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Sterling.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 1,162 944 218
2024 1,104 885 219
2023 972 792 180
2022 974 803 171
2021 1,026 844 182
2020 890 768 122
2019 868 753 115
2018 909 783 126
2017 840 713 127
2016 804 671 133
2015 680 595 85
2014 649 552 97
2013 511 441 70
2012 415 350 65
2011 371 307 64
2010 351 299 52
2009 278 231 47
2008 290 245 45
2007 310 269 41
2006 325 270 55
2005 311 272 39
2004 363 300 63
2003 379 325 54
2002 434 357 77
2001 450 395 55
2000 436 363 73
1999 447 392 55
1998 490 424 66
1997 470 428 42
1996 530 469 61
1995 564 511 53
1994 644 573 71
1993 580 504 76
1992 558 503 55
1991 503 454 49
1990 492 451 41
1989 422 389 33
1988 457 415 42
1987 358 326 32
1986 323 297 26
1985 295 275 20
1984 316 293 23
1983 301 276 25
1982 257 237 20
1981 238 218 20
1980 258 242 16
1979 243 225 18
1978 242 226 16
1977 226 214 12
1976 196 189 7
1975 190 183 7
1974 209 195 14
1973 201 194 7
1972 190 183 7
1971 251 242 9
1970 235 221 14
1969 244 234 10
1968 254 246 8
1967 222 216 6
1966 245 239 6
1965 222 215 7
1964 289 284 5
1963 288 288 0
1962 288 288 0
1961 255 249 6
1960 237 237 0
1959 259 259 0
1958 250 245 5
1957 246 246 0
1956 284 279 5
1955 276 267 9
1954 252 252 0
1953 255 255 0
1952 263 255 8
1951 260 260 0
1950 252 252 0
1949 267 260 7
1948 260 255 5
1947 281 281 0
1946 241 232 9
1945 223 216 7
1944 211 211 0
1943 222 217 5
1942 267 258 9
1941 207 200 7
1940 204 204 0
1939 182 177 5
1938 194 188 6
1937 166 166 0
1936 194 194 0
1935 179 179 0
1934 191 186 5
1933 186 186 0
1932 232 227 5
1931 198 193 5
1930 208 208 0
1929 256 250 6
1928 235 229 6
1927 242 236 6
1926 246 246 0
1925 241 241 0
1924 280 280 0
1923 260 253 7
1922 279 270 9
1921 275 269 6
1920 266 259 7
1919 254 254 0
1918 257 249 8
1917 218 218 0
1916 202 202 0
1915 209 209 0
1914 151 151 0
1913 138 132 6
1912 100 100 0
1911 47 47 0
1910 46 46 0
1909 47 47 0
1908 44 44 0
1907 39 39 0
1906 32 32 0
1905 30 30 0
1904 33 33 0
1903 31 31 0
1902 30 30 0
1901 28 28 0
1900 38 38 0
1899 18 18 0
1898 26 26 0
1897 25 25 0
1896 21 21 0
1895 35 35 0
1894 15 15 0
1893 30 30 0
1892 23 23 0
1891 25 25 0
1890 15 15 0
1889 15 15 0
1888 25 25 0
1887 19 19 0
1886 10 10 0
1885 18 18 0
1884 20 20 0
1883 20 20 0
1882 16 16 0
1881 8 8 0
1880 17 17 0

Top States for Sterling (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
TX 145
14%
CA 72
7%
FL 52
5%
NC 40
4%
MO 38
4%
OK 36
4%
WA 35
3%
WI 33
3%
GA 33
3%
CO 27
3%
TN 25
2%
IN 25
2%
OH 25
2%
VA 25
2%
AZ 25
2%
LA 25
2%
KY 24
2%
PA 24
2%
MI 22
2%
NE 22
2%
SC 22
2%
IL 20
2%
AL 20
2%
AR 19
2%
MN 17
2%
UT 17
2%
KS 17
2%
IA 16
2%
NY 15
1%
ME 11
1%
NJ 11
1%
NV 11
1%
MT 10
1%
MD 10
1%
AK 8
1%
OR 8
1%
WV 8
1%
NM 7
1%
MA 7
1%
MS 5
0%