Sterling is an English surname and word name that means "of high quality" or "genuine", from the sterling silver that gave Britain's currency its name; the word itself probably goes back to the Old English steorra, "star", after the small star on early Norman pennies. Actor Sterling K. Brown has made the name current in the United States. Sterling has been in the US top 1000 throughout this century and reached number 346 in 2025, its highest rank to date.