Sterling is an established boys' name that has climbed to its highest level yet, peaking in 2025.
Sterling is predominantly a boy name. In 2025 it ranked #346 among boys (944) and #1,100 among girls (218) — overall #569 across all names. The charts below show girls and boys separately.
| Year | U.S. births | U.S. + territories | ♀ Rank | ♂ Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,162 | 1,162 | #1,100 | #346 |
| 2024 | 1,104 | 1,104 | #1,116 | #371 |
| 2023 | 972 | 972 | #1,275 | #403 |
| 2022 | 974 | 974 | #1,365 | #398 |
| 2021 | 1,026 | 1,026 | #1,275 | #383 |
| 2020 | 890 | 890 | #1,686 | #400 |
| 2019 | 868 | 868 | #1,786 | #411 |
| 2018 | 909 | 909 | #1,670 | #409 |
| 2017 | 840 | 840 | #1,695 | #435 |
| 2016 | 804 | 804 | #1,643 | #458 |
| 2015 | 680 | 680 | #2,233 | #493 |
| 2014 | 649 | 649 | #2,035 | #507 |
| 2013 | 511 | 511 | #2,565 | #583 |
| 2012 | 415 | 415 | #2,733 | #675 |
| 2011 | 371 | 371 | #2,758 | #739 |
| 2010 | 351 | 351 | #3,198 | #755 |
| 2009 | 278 | 278 | #3,507 | #899 |
| 2008 | 290 | 290 | #3,641 | #870 |
| 2007 | 310 | 310 | #3,910 | #800 |
| 2006 | 325 | 325 | #3,084 | #772 |
| 2005 | 311 | 311 | #3,804 | #743 |
| 2004 | 363 | 363 | #2,648 | #675 |
| 2003 | 379 | 379 | #2,878 | #632 |
| 2002 | 434 | 434 | #2,177 | #589 |
| 2001 | 450 | 450 | #2,737 | #545 |
| 2000 | 436 | 436 | #2,188 | #569 |
| 1999 | 447 | 447 | #2,603 | #531 |
| 1998 | 490 | 490 | #2,184 | #505 |
| 1997 | 470 | — | #2,929 | #494 |
| 1996 | 530 | — | #2,227 | #463 |
| 1995 | 564 | — | #2,452 | #446 |
| 1994 | 644 | — | #1,993 | #402 |
| 1993 | 580 | — | #1,879 | #437 |
| 1992 | 558 | — | #2,382 | #440 |
| 1991 | 503 | — | #2,545 | #463 |
| 1990 | 492 | — | #2,845 | #463 |
| 1989 | 422 | — | #3,244 | #486 |
| 1988 | 457 | — | #2,589 | #444 |
| 1987 | 358 | — | #3,026 | #492 |
| 1986 | 323 | — | #3,443 | #513 |
| 1985 | 295 | — | #4,113 | #527 |
| 1984 | 316 | — | #3,600 | #490 |
| 1983 | 301 | — | #3,325 | #508 |
| 1982 | 257 | — | #4,011 | #559 |
| 1981 | 238 | — | #3,987 | #581 |
| 1980 | 258 | — | #4,710 | #550 |
| 1979 | 243 | — | #4,206 | #571 |
| 1978 | 242 | — | #4,429 | #556 |
| 1977 | 226 | — | #5,491 | #573 |
| 1976 | 196 | — | #8,008 | #593 |
| 1975 | 190 | — | #7,850 | #600 |
| 1974 | 209 | — | #4,425 | #575 |
| 1973 | 201 | — | #7,329 | #570 |
| 1972 | 190 | — | #7,175 | #589 |
| 1971 | 251 | — | #5,932 | #523 |
| 1970 | 235 | — | #4,228 | #548 |
| 1969 | 244 | — | #5,012 | #509 |
| 1968 | 254 | — | #5,580 | #485 |
| 1967 | 222 | — | #6,693 | #512 |
| 1966 | 245 | — | #6,471 | #490 |
| 1965 | 222 | — | #5,743 | #523 |
| 1964 | 289 | — | #7,674 | #471 |
| 1963 | 288 | — | — | #465 |
| 1962 | 288 | — | — | #470 |
| 1961 | 255 | — | #6,476 | #505 |
| 1960 | 237 | — | — | #516 |
| 1959 | 259 | — | — | #487 |
| 1958 | 250 | — | #6,910 | #499 |
| 1957 | 246 | — | — | #497 |
| 1956 | 284 | — | #6,780 | #456 |
| 1955 | 276 | — | #4,342 | #457 |
| 1954 | 252 | — | — | #458 |
| 1953 | 255 | — | — | #451 |
| 1952 | 263 | — | #4,437 | #440 |
| 1951 | 260 | — | — | #421 |
| 1950 | 252 | — | — | #422 |
| 1949 | 267 | — | #4,615 | #423 |
| 1948 | 260 | — | #5,944 | #421 |
| 1947 | 281 | — | — | #409 |
| 1946 | 241 | — | #3,639 | #419 |
| 1945 | 223 | — | #3,984 | #410 |
| 1944 | 211 | — | — | #416 |
| 1943 | 222 | — | #5,295 | #422 |
| 1942 | 267 | — | #3,411 | #379 |
| 1941 | 207 | — | #3,914 | #413 |
| 1940 | 204 | — | — | #402 |
| 1939 | 182 | — | #4,872 | #429 |
| 1938 | 194 | — | #4,291 | #415 |
| 1937 | 166 | — | — | #439 |
| 1936 | 194 | — | — | #393 |
| 1935 | 179 | — | — | #413 |
| 1934 | 191 | — | #4,882 | #408 |
| 1933 | 186 | — | — | #397 |
| 1932 | 232 | — | #5,005 | #371 |
| 1931 | 198 | — | #4,889 | #405 |
| 1930 | 208 | — | — | #404 |
| 1929 | 256 | — | #4,502 | #356 |
| 1928 | 235 | — | #4,660 | #392 |
| 1927 | 242 | — | #4,738 | #386 |
| 1926 | 246 | — | — | #371 |
| 1925 | 241 | — | — | #385 |
| 1924 | 280 | — | — | #356 |
| 1923 | 260 | — | #4,324 | #376 |
| 1922 | 279 | — | #3,624 | #364 |
| 1921 | 275 | — | #5,025 | #372 |
| 1920 | 266 | — | #4,337 | #374 |
| 1919 | 254 | — | — | #361 |
| 1918 | 257 | — | #3,813 | #376 |
| 1917 | 218 | — | — | #384 |
| 1916 | 202 | — | — | #391 |
| 1915 | 209 | — | — | #373 |
| 1914 | 151 | — | — | #385 |
| 1913 | 138 | — | #3,139 | #362 |
| 1912 | 100 | — | — | #385 |
| 1911 | 47 | — | — | #425 |
| 1910 | 46 | — | — | #390 |
| 1909 | 47 | — | — | #343 |
| 1908 | 44 | — | — | #344 |
| 1907 | 39 | — | — | #358 |
| 1906 | 32 | — | — | #385 |
| 1905 | 30 | — | — | #390 |
| 1904 | 33 | — | — | #353 |
| 1903 | 31 | — | — | #352 |
| 1902 | 30 | — | — | #365 |
| 1901 | 28 | — | — | #352 |
| 1900 | 38 | — | — | #356 |
| 1899 | 18 | — | — | #454 |
| 1898 | 26 | — | — | #390 |
| 1897 | 25 | — | — | #382 |
| 1896 | 21 | — | — | #436 |
| 1895 | 35 | — | — | #308 |
| 1894 | 15 | — | — | #536 |
| 1893 | 30 | — | — | #321 |
| 1892 | 23 | — | — | #403 |
| 1891 | 25 | — | — | #348 |
| 1890 | 15 | — | — | #509 |
| 1889 | 15 | — | — | #494 |
| 1888 | 25 | — | — | #374 |
| 1887 | 19 | — | — | #390 |
| 1886 | 10 | — | — | #640 |
| 1885 | 18 | — | — | #436 |
| 1884 | 20 | — | — | #413 |
| 1883 | 20 | — | — | #396 |
| 1882 | 16 | — | — | #466 |
| 1881 | 8 | — | — | #695 |
| 1880 | 17 | — | — | #440 |