Sitara
A feminine name of Urdu origin meaning "star".
Name Census estimates that about 718 living Americans carry the first name Sitara. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Sitara today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sitara births was 2023 (75 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sitara. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
718
~ 1 in 477,374 Americans
Peak year
2023
75 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,733
Tracked since 1987
Popularity
Sitara: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sitara from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 274 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sitara by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Sitara during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Sitaras live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. California, Texas, New Jersey recorded the most babies named Sitara, while Washington, North Carolina, New Jersey recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 34 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Sitara
Sitara is a name of Persian origin, derived from the word "sitareh" meaning star in the Persian language. The name has been in use for centuries in the region spanning modern-day Iran, Afghanistan, and parts of Central Asia.
The earliest known recorded instance of the name Sitara dates back to the 10th century AD, where it was mentioned in the writings of the renowned Persian poet and scholar, Ferdowsi. In his epic poem, the Shahnameh, Ferdowsi refers to a character named Sitara, who was a beautiful princess.
During the Mughal period in India, which lasted from the 16th to the 19th century, the name Sitara gained popularity among the ruling elite. Several Mughal princesses and noblewomen were named Sitara, reflecting the cultural influence of the Persian language and literature on the Mughal court.
One of the most notable historical figures named Sitara was Sitara Begum, the daughter of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. Born in 1639, Sitara Begum was known for her intelligence, beauty, and her patronage of the arts and literature.
In the 19th century, the name Sitara was also prominent among the Afghan nobility. Sitara Khanum, born in 1848, was the daughter of the Afghan ruler, Dost Mohammad Khan. She played a significant role in Afghan politics and was respected for her wisdom and diplomatic skills.
Another notable figure named Sitara was Sitara Devi, an Indian classical dancer and actress, born in 1920. She was a pioneer in the field of Kathak dance and made significant contributions to the preservation and promotion of this art form.
Sitara Achakzai, born in 1982, is a contemporary Afghan politician and women's rights activist. She has been a vocal advocate for women's empowerment and has worked tirelessly to promote education and equal opportunities for women in Afghanistan.
The name Sitara has maintained its popularity across various cultures and regions, particularly in South Asia and the Middle East, where it continues to be bestowed upon newborn girls as a symbol of beauty, grace, and radiance.
People
Sitara + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sitara as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Sitara: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sitara?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 718 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sitara going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 477,374 US residents.
Is Sitara a common name?
We classify Sitara as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 726 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sitara most popular?
The single biggest year for Sitara was 2023, when 75 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sitara is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Sitara a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sitara in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.