Sterling

“The starling bird” — Old English origin

Boy's name · #345 in the US (2025) · Trending

Sterling has appeared in US records since 1880 — best rank #305 (1895) · 37,474 babies named Sterling all-time · 1 in 1,800 boys born in 2025.

Around the world: about 1 in 1,600 boys in New Zealand (2025) · about 1 in 2,300 boys in Canada (2024) · about 1 in 6,500 boys in Scotland (2025).

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 44 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Sterlings

Sterling Hayden — American actor (1916–1986)
Sterling Knight — American actor, singer, songwriter, director, comedian and musician
Sterling K. Brown — American actor
Sterling Morrison — American musician (1942–1995)
Sterling Holloway — American actor (1905–1992)

Among 159 notable people named Sterling:

Athletes appear 1.52× more often than among typical names — e.g. Sterling Brown, American basketball player.

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