Sister
A girl's name of Old English origin with 563 recorded U.S. births.
Meaning & Origin
Title of respect for an adult female member of a religious order.
Sister is a girl's baby name of Old English origin, from the Old Norse systir and Old English sweostor, ultimately meaning 'sibling' or 'female sibling.' Used as a given name, it carried the warmth of familial affection — a nickname for the eldest daughter that became a formal name in the American South.
Sister was used primarily as a given name in rural Southern communities in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, where familial terms of endearment — like Sister, Brother, and Baby — were registered as legal names, speaking to the deep bonds of family identity.
EtymologyShow more
In the American context, Sister is a girl's name with several decades of recorded use (1883–1946). Its Old English roots connect it to a broader naming tradition, but in practice, American usage often reshapes names — adding nicknames, shifting pronunciation, and building new associations that diverge from the original cultural context.
Though no longer in the top 1,000, Sister’s 563 recorded births mean it has left a mark. Every name carries the accumulated identity of the people who have worn it — and Sister has decades of that history.
At a Glance
Popularity Over Time
Sister has 56+ years of history in the U.S., first appearing in 1883.
Popularity by Decade
| Decade | Births | Avg Rank | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 41 | #3823 | ▼ |
| 1930s | 55 | #3975 | — |
| 1920s | 57 | #4435 | ▼ |
| 1910s | 160 | #1904 | ▲ |
| 1900s | 115 | #1286 | ▲ |
| 1890s | 104 | #1059 | ▲ |
| 1880s | 31 | #1083 | — |
The Story of Sister
A Greatest Generation name
Peaking in 1914, Sister is a name steeped in history. Girls named Sister are most likely born between 1904 and 1924.
How rare is Sister?
With 563 total births on record, Sister remains a rare and distinctive pick.
The journey through the decades
First appeared in the records in 1883, grew steadily over the decades, peaked in the 1910s with 160 births that decade, and has gracefully settled into a quieter chapter.
Sister by the numbers
- Would fill 12 school buses
- Meeting one Sister per day would take 1.5 years
Year-by-Year Data
View complete yearly data(56 years, 1883–1946)
| Year | Births | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1946 | 5 | #5614 |
| 1944 | 9 | #3350 |
| 1943 | 10 | #3219 |
| 1942 | 9 | #3406 |
| 1941 | 8 | #3526 |
| 1939 | 8 | #3387 |
| 1937 | 6 | #4206 |
| 1935 | 7 | #3707 |
| 1934 | 5 | #4879 |
| 1933 | 5 | #4780 |
| 1932 | 9 | #3248 |
| 1931 | 6 | #4283 |
| 1930 | 9 | #3309 |
| 1929 | 7 | #4000 |
| 1926 | 5 | #5525 |
| 1925 | 11 | #3099 |
| 1924 | 6 | #4978 |
| 1923 | 5 | #5615 |
| 1922 | 7 | #4379 |
| 1921 | 8 | #3976 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sister a boy's or girl's name?
When was Sister most popular?
How popular is the name Sister?
Explore More
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1883–1946