Sterling is a distinctive choice, ranked #1595 in 2024. Your child is likely to be the only Sterling in their class.
💎
UK Rank 2024
#1595
US Rank #372
About the Name Sterling
Sterling has seen a notable decline in recent years, dropping 484 places in five years. It was most popular in 2022 at #1104 — parents choosing it today are making a deliberately counter-trend decision. The name has been a regular feature in UK records since 1997.
Sterling is distinctive enough that your child will likely be the only one in both their class and their school — standing out on every register.
In the US it ranks even higher at #372, where it enjoys a particularly strong following.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Sterling
Unlikely. With around 16 UK babies named Sterling per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Sterling in his class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Sterling has been declining in UK popularity, dropping 484 places in the last five years. Its peak was #1104 in 2022. Choosing it now means he is likely to be among the last of his generation with this name.
Sterling is more popular in the US (#372) than in the UK (#1595). Names with strong rankings in both countries tend to have broad cross-cultural appeal, working well for international families or those with ties to both nations.
Notable people named Sterling include: Donald Sterling — Donald T.; Tisha Sterling — Patricia Ann "Tisha" Sterling is a retired American actress.; Sterling Sharpe — Sterling Sharpe is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL)..
Sterling appears in the US top 500 at #372 in 2024 — moderately popular in America, though less so than in the UK.
16
UK babies named Sterling (2024)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↓ 484 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Sterling
Likely around 1 other Sterling in the class
UK Popularity (1997–2024)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2024)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Sterling
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Sterling Brown may refer to: Sterling Allen Brown, American academic, poet and writer Sterling K. Brown, American actor Sterling Brown (American football) (born c.
Donald T. Sterling is an American attorney and businessman who was the owner of the San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1981 to 2014.
Sterling Sharpe is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks, and played in the NFL from 1988 to 1994 with the Packers in a career shortened by a neck injury.
Sterling St. Jacques was an American model, dancer, actor, and singer.
Fictional Sterlings
Sterling Foster Black (1924-1996), Sterling K. Brown (born 1976), W. Sterling Cary (1927–2021), Sterling R. Cockrill (born 1925), Sterling R. Cockrill (judge) (1847–1901)