The Sterling surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 25,894 people carried this name — #1,362 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 11,400 people counted. That is up 6% from 24,314 in 2000.

Look up another surname

Share

Where the name comes from

The origin of the Sterling surname

A Scottish surname, variant of Stirling.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Sterling» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 49 people named Sterling live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Santiago del Estero.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Santiago del Estero 36
Buenos Aires Province 13

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 45 people named Sterling.

6 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 11 départements, most often Indre.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born

Born outside France 6
Indre 12
Gironde 7
Lot-et-Garonne 5
Lot 3
Paris 3
Guadeloupe 3
Dordogne 2
Haute-Garonne 1

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In Poland’s population register

40 people named Sterling have a registered home in Poland.

Of the 65 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 2 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Kuyavian-Pomeranian.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Kuyavian-Pomeranian 29
Greater Poland 11

PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

23 people named Sterling live in Switzerland.

They live in 4 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Zurich 8
Vaud 6
Bern 5
Basel-Landschaft 4

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In the Nordic population registers

138 people named Sterling is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 138

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

In the first U.S. census, 1790

33 families named Sterling, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 171 people lived in those households, 5.2 to a family on average. The table counts it together with one other spelling. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Pennsylvania 8
Connecticut 7
Maryland 7
New Hampshire 3
Vermont 3
Maine 1
Massachusetts 1
Rhode Island 1
North Carolina 1
South Carolina 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 263 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Sterling in American newspapers,
1867–1910.

Newspaper page from The Commonwealth carrying the name Sterling
The Commonwealth 1910-10-14
Newspaper page from The Union And Journal carrying the name Sterling
The Union And Journal 1867-04-19
Newspaper page from The Commonwealth carrying the name Sterling
The Commonwealth 1910-02-18

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 8,744 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Sterling in Australian newspapers,
1820s–2000s.

23,365 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Sterling. The most, 3,550, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Queensland, at 1.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 7,299
Queensland 6,350
Victoria 5,156
South Australia 2,350
Western Australia 1,191
Tasmania 832
ACT (Canberra) 123
Northern Territory 16

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Sterling.

Who carried it

People named Sterling,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Agnes Jane Sterling d. 1921
  • Elizabeth Sterling d. 1915
  • James Sterling 1701–1763 · poet
  • Edward Sterling 1773–1847 · journalist
  • Ansel Sterling 1782–1853 · judge
  • Hester Coningham 1783–1843

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Sterling,
in the records of 8 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States2,229 records

2,229 records of the Sterling name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 735
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 478
  • Other U.S. records 1,016
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Charles Wesley Sterling

    Born 1938; from Ocean City, New Jersey. U.S. Army, field artillery surveyor; killed in action 1971 in Kontum, South Vietnam. Buried at Fort Smith National Cemetery, Arkansas.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record William C. Sterling

    Born 1903 in Iowa. Enlisted 1942 at Kalamazoo, Michigan; driver from Berrien County, Michigan. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1959, buried at Rock Island National Cemetery, Illinois.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Mary A. Sterling

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the Adriatic from Liverpool, aged 55; servant. From Liverpool, England.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 2,229 records for Sterling in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Netherlands409 records

409 records of the Sterling name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 221
  • Dutch population registers 138
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 50
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Pieter Sterling

    Married in 1852 in Deventer; tailor. Died 1877 in Deventer, aged 61; paperhanger.

    Open Archives, Collectie Overijssel locatie Zwolle (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Maria Sterling

    Born 1821 in Etten-Leur. Married in 1852 in Etten-Leur. Died 1900 in Etten-Leur.

    Open Archives, Brabants Historisch Informatie Centrum (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Karel Sterling

    Born 1867 in Deventer. Married in 1889 in Arnhem; weaver.

    Open Archives, Collectie Overijssel locatie Zwolle (CC BY 4.0); Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 409 records for Sterling in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Australia353 records

353 records of the Sterling name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 201
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 49
  • Other Australian records 103
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Mary Sterling

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Earl Grey, sailing from Kingston in 1849. Native of Down. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1850. Married 1850 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 21.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record William Sterling

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Earl St Vincent, arriving 1823; ticket of leave 1828.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Jane Sterling

    Arrived in Victoria in 1860 aboard the Ocean Home, aged 30; Scottish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 353 records for Sterling in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada222 records

222 records of the Sterling name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 166
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 20
  • Other Canadian records 36
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Robt Sterling

    Came to Ontario in 1879 aboard the Dominion, landing at Quebec, bound for St. Catharines, Ontario; Scotch.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Joseph George Sterling

    Buried in 1983 at Burnsland Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 88.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Margaret Bacins Sterling

    Died 1967 in Armdale, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 222 records for Sterling in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Germany27 records

27 records of the Sterling name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list August Sterling

    From Stettin. Reported dead in the Prussian casualty list of 4 November 1914 (Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 2).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Gustav Sterling

    From Halberstadt. Reported dead in the Prussian casualty list of 4 September 1915 (Infantry Regiment No. 41).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  3. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Fritz Sterling

    From Berlin. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 3 November 1915 (Landwehr Infantry Regiment No. 4).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 3 of 27 records for Sterling in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

France19 records

19 records of the Sterling name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Gustave Sterling

    Born 1898 in Migné; died 1979 in Ciron (Indre).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Ella Privia Sterling

    Born 1921 in Paris; died 1983 in La Tronche (Isère).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Eugenie Sterling

    Born 1905 in Chitray; died 1984 in Châteauroux (Indre).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 19 records for Sterling in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

United Kingdom9 records

9 records of the Sterling name in the United Kingdom
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 4
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 3
  • Scottish rolls of honour, First World War 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Elizabeth Sterling

    Buried in 1806 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 48.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record A. Sterling

    Lance Corporal, Lancashire Fusiliers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 2 of 9 records for Sterling in the United Kingdom.

Counts: MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand6 records

6 records of the Sterling name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 5
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Allan Lancelot Sterling

    Died 1936, aged 20; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Peter O'Thello Sterling

    Died 1985, aged 45; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 2 of 6 records for Sterling in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Sterling.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Sterling is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Sterling volume
Scroll to Top