girl's name
Sierra
see-EH-ruh
- Origin Spanish
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 3
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 108,915
the United States
#614
2025 births
Sierra means a mountain range, and the Spanish word is literally a saw — ranges were named for the jagged sawtooth profile they cut against the sky. American births jumped from 236 in 1984 to 1,206 in 1985.
- Sierra is a name of Spanish origin.
- Peaked in 1998, when 5,853 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 6,965 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1940.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Sierra over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1940s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1940s | 144 |
| 1950s | 54 |
| 1960s | 81 |
| 1970s | 822 |
| 1980s | 8,913 |
| 1990s | 43,746 |
| 2000s | 34,593 |
| 2010s | 9,272 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 3,241 |
What Sierra means
Sierra means a mountain range, and behind that a saw. The Latin serra names the tool, and Spanish applied it to ridgelines because of the toothed outline they make.
Where Sierra comes from
Sierra is the Spanish for a mountain range, from the Latin serra, a saw — the metaphor is visual, since a ridge of peaks cuts a toothed line against the sky exactly as a saw blade does. The same root gives serrated. Spanish carried the word across the Americas, which is why the Sierra Nevada exists in both Spain and California, and why Sierra Leone means lion mountains. As a given name it is American and almost entirely post-1984.
Sierra in use
Something moved Sierra sharply in 1985: American births ran 210 in 1982, 200 in 1983 and 236 in 1984, then 1,206 in 1985 — a five-fold jump in a single year — after which it climbed steadily for a decade to peak at 5,853 in 1998. Our data dates the break precisely but does not identify a cause, and we will not guess at one. It now ranks 298th in Northern Ireland on 5 births, 561st in Ireland, 614th in the United States on 476, 764th in England and Wales on 48, 840th in Scotland and 1626th in France, across 108,915 lifetime births in all seven markets we track.
How popular is Sierra?
In 2025, Sierra was given to 476 babies in the United States, ranking #614 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Sierra is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Sierra
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Sierra also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Sierra over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Sierra
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Sierra in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Sierra
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Sierra — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Sierra
What does the name Sierra mean?
A mountain range — and behind that the Latin serra, a saw, from the toothed outline a ridge makes.
Why did Sierra suddenly become popular?
Births went from 236 in 1984 to 1,206 in 1985. Our data dates the jump precisely but does not tell us what caused it.
Is Sierra Leone related?
Yes — it means lion mountains, using the same Spanish and Portuguese word.
Where is Sierra used?
All six markets we track, strongest in Northern Ireland at 298th.
Is Sierra a girl's or a boy's name?
Sierra is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Sierra?
Sierra has 3 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Sierra?
Sierra is usually shortened to Siri.
Is Sierra a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Sierra currently ranks #298 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.