Stearl
An invented name possibly derived from the word "steer", meaning to guide or direct.
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Stearl. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Stearl today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Stearl births was 1923 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Stearl. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Stearl. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1923
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1923 SSA rank
#4,805
Tracked since 1923
Popularity
Stearl: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Stearl 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 Stearl during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Stearl
The name Stearl is a relatively uncommon given name, and its origins and meaning are somewhat obscure. It is believed to have originated in England or Scotland, possibly as a variant spelling of the name Sterl, itself a shortened form of the name Sterling.
The name Sterling is derived from the Old English word "steorra," meaning "star." It was originally used as a surname, referring to someone who was of a steadfast or unwavering nature, much like a star in the night sky. Over time, the name transitioned from a surname to a given name, and it is in this context that the variant spelling Stearl likely emerged.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Stearl can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Nottingham, England, dating back to the late 16th century. In these records, a man named Stearl Wyngfield was listed as having been baptized in 1587.
Throughout history, there have been a few notable individuals who bore the name Stearl. One such person was Stearl Barrington, a British explorer and naturalist who lived in the late 18th century. He is best known for his expeditions to the South Pacific and his contributions to the field of natural history.
Another notable bearer of the name was Stearl Ellsworth, an American businessman and philanthropist who lived from 1835 to 1912. He made his fortune in the textile industry and used his wealth to support various educational and charitable causes.
In the field of literature, there was Stearl Fitzgerald, an Irish poet and playwright who lived from 1890 to 1957. He was a member of the Irish Literary Revival and is remembered for his works that celebrated Irish culture and identity.
A more recent figure with the name Stearl was Sir Stearl Whitby, a British military officer who served in World War II and later became a prominent figure in the British civil service. He lived from 1910 to 1998 and was knighted for his services to the country.
Despite its relative rarity, the name Stearl has persisted throughout history, carried by individuals from various walks of life. While its origins may be somewhat obscure, it remains a unique and intriguing name with a rich, if understated, legacy.
People
Stearl + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Stearl 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
Stearl: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Stearl?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Stearl 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 - US residents.
Is Stearl a common name?
We classify Stearl as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Stearl most popular?
The single biggest year for Stearl was 1923, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Stearl is about 0 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Stearl in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Stearl a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Stearl in the SSA data are male. 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.
Is Stearl still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Stearl in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Stearl can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Stearl?
Find out how many people have the name Stearl on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.