2000
#1,333
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 24,314
First available Census row
Per 100,000 9.01
Uncommon Last name
Sterling
A surname referring to a person of high quality or excellence, derived from the Old English word "steorra" meaning star.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 29,139 Americans carry the last name Sterling. That puts it at #1,356 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.50 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,763 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sterling surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Sterling with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
29K
1 in 11,763
Census rank
#1,356
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
25K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 25,411 bearers of the surname Sterling in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.50 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1356th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sterling, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.7%. The next largest groups are Black (28.2%) and Hispanic (5.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sterling
The surname Sterling originates from England and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "sterling," which referred to a coin made of pure silver. The name likely developed as an occupational surname for those who worked with silver coins or as a nickname for someone with silver hair or complexion.
The earliest recorded instances of the Sterling surname can be found in various English historical records, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Sterlyng." The Domesday Book of 1086 also mentions a village named "Sterlinghe" in Cambridgeshire, suggesting that the name may have originated from a place name.
One of the earliest known individuals with the Sterling surname was Sir Ralph Sterling, a prominent nobleman who lived in the 13th century. He was involved in the Barons' War against King Henry III and was ultimately executed for his role in the conflict.
Another notable figure with the Sterling surname was John Sterling, a Scottish writer and philosopher born in 1806. He was known for his works on ethics and social philosophy, including "The Secret of Hegel" and "Rationalism and Experience."
In the 16th century, a family named Sterling held lands in Hertfordshire, England. One member, John Sterling, served as a Member of Parliament for Hertford in 1554.
During the American Revolutionary War, Captain Abraham Sterling fought for the Continental Army and was present at the Battle of Long Island in 1776.
Poet and critic Susannah Sterling was born in 1844 in Ireland and authored several works, including "Eastward and Other Poems" and "Twickenham Prize Poems."
While the Sterling surname is found throughout the English-speaking world today, it has its roots in medieval England, with a connection to the silver trade and various historical figures who played significant roles in their respective eras.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sterling
Among Census respondents with the surname Sterling, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.7%. The next largest groups are Black (28.2%) and Hispanic (5.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Sterling bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Sterling surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White60.7% · 15,436
- Black or African American28.2% · 7,155
- Hispanic or Latino5.6% · 1,414
- Two or more races4.4% · 1,116
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 199
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 91
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sterling
Sterling appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#1,362
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,894
+1,580 bearers (+6.5%)
Per 100,000 8.78
Rank movement Down 29 places
2020
#1,356
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,411
-483 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 8.50
Rank movement Up 6 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,333 | 24,314 | 9.01 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,362 | 25,894 | 8.78 | +1,580 bearers (+6.5%) | Down 29 places |
| 2020 | #1,356 | 25,411 | 8.50 | -483 bearers (-1.9%) | Up 6 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Sterling surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,362 | #1,356 | 0.4% |
| Count | 25,894 | 25,411 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 8.78 | 8.50 | -3.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sterling bearers went from 25,894 to 25,411 (-1.9% change). The surname moved up 6 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,362 to #1,356.
FAQ
Sterling surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sterling?
Name Census estimates that about 29,139 living Americans carry the surname Sterling. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,763 residents.
How common is Sterling?
Sterling ranks #1,356 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.50 per 100,000 residents, which is about 9 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 25,411 people with the surname Sterling. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (29,139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.5 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.50 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 9 of them to have the surname Sterling.
Has Sterling become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sterling went from 25,894 recorded bearers to 25,411. That is a decrease of 483 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,362 to #1,356.
What does the Census say about the background of Sterling?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sterling, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.7%. The next largest groups are Black (28.2%) and Hispanic (5.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sterling in the 2020 Census, accounting for 60.7% (15,436 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sterling appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (60.7%), Black (28.2%), Hispanic (5.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Sterling (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Sterling mean?
A surname referring to a person of high quality or excellence, derived from the Old English word "steorra" meaning star. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Sterling (8.50 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Sterling?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.