Given name & surname
Sierra
“from the jagged mountain range”
Sierra is used as a given name and a surname. One Spanish interpretation is “from the jagged mountain range.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Spanish interpretation is “from the jagged mountain range.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Spanish.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1940. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Sierra through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 100,866
- 269 boys · 100,597 girls
- Most popular year
- 1998
- 5,853 babies
- 2025
- 476
- #616 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −21%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 476 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 616 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 20.7% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 5,841 in 1998. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (129). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 85,582 as a first name in 2020; 35,938 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Sierra’s family of names
In English usage, Sierra has a related form in Cierra. In English usage, Sierra has a related form in Ciera. Sierra has a related form in Siera.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 7
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
People named Sierra
- Sierra BoggessAmerican actress and singerborn 1982
- Sierra McClainsister of China Anne McClainborn 1994
- Sierra HullAmerican bluegrass musician and songwriterborn 1991
- Sierra KayAmerican singer and songwriterborn 1990
- Sierra CapriAmerican actressborn 1998
- Sierra FerrellAmerican singer-songwriter (born 1988)
- Sierra Cota-YardePortuguese-Canadian soccer playerborn 2003
- Sierra KatowAmerican comedianborn 1994
- Sierra SwanAmerican singerborn 1978
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Sierra, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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