Sierra
A female given name of modern American usage, from the Spanish noun, confused with Ciara and Sarah.
Every Sierra since 1940 — 100,866 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Sierra
Sierra is uncommon for girls in the United States, ranked #616 in 2025 with 476 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.
Since 1940, 100,866 American babies have been named Sierra. Its peak came in 1998, when 5,853 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1990s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Sierra stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Sierra year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 476 | #616 | — | — |
| 2024 | 508 | #596 | — | — |
| 2023 | 525 | #567 | — | — |
| 2022 | 552 | #551 | — | — |
| 2021 | 612 | #508 | — | — |
| 2020 | 568 | #534 | — | — |
| 2019 | 630 | #499 | — | — |
| 2018 | 699 | #454 | — | — |
| 2017 | 704 | #450 | — | — |
| 2016 | 771 | #424 | — | — |
| 2015 | 800 | #404 | — | — |
| 2014 | 949 | #351 | — | — |
| 2013 | 945 | #345 | — | — |
| 2012 | 1,170 | #278 | — | — |
| 2011 | 1,149 | #278 | — | — |
| 2010 | 1,455 | #214 | — | — |
| 2009 | 1,676 | #196 | — | — |
| 2008 | 1,903 | #175 | — | — |
| 2007 | 2,114 | #168 | — | — |
| 2006 | 2,466 | #140 | 5 | #13,723 |
| 2005 | 3,049 | #105 | 5 | #13,067 |
| 2004 | 3,520 | #92 | 16 | #5,208 |
| 2003 | 4,242 | #73 | 11 | #6,656 |
| 2002 | 4,807 | #62 | 7 | #9,247 |
| 2001 | 5,237 | #55 | 7 | #9,092 |
| 2000 | 5,520 | #53 | 8 | #8,099 |
| 1995 | 5,495 | #60 | 10 | #5,851 |
| 1990 | 2,170 | #141 | 11 | #4,944 |
| 1985 | 1,198 | #216 | 8 | #5,082 |
| 1980 | 184 | #850 | — | — |
| 1975 | 76 | #1,400 | 5 | #6,215 |
| 1970 | 23 | #3,015 | — | — |
| 1965 | 7 | #5,739 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — | — | — |
| 1955 | 8 | #4,686 | — | — |
| 1950 | 5 | #6,000 | — | — |
| 1945 | 14 | #2,442 | — | — |
| 1940 | 32 | #1,344 | — | — |
| 1935 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1925 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1915 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Sierra
- Sierra McCormick Actor · b. 1997
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Sierra mean?
A female given name of modern American usage, from the Spanish noun, confused with Ciara and Sarah.
How popular is the name Sierra in 2025?
Sierra ranked #616 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 476 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Sierra?
100,866 babies have been named Sierra in the United States since 1940, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Sierra most popular?
Sierra peaked in 1998, when 5,853 newborns received the name.
Is Sierra a boy or girl name?
Sierra is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Sierra rising or falling?
Sierra is declining — less popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Sierra?
Well-known people named Sierra include Sierra McCormick (actor).