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Sister

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Sister

Pronounced SISS-tur /ˈsɪs.tər/High

Meaning: Sister is the ordinary English word, from Old English sweostor, 'sister'. In early-twentieth-century American records, especially in the South, a household nickname like 'Sister' for a daughter was sometimes written down as her given name. It is very likely an endearment recorded as a name rather than a formally bestowed one, so confidence is low and we flag it as such.Low

In 30 seconds: Sister is the English word, very likely a family endearment for a daughter that was recorded as a given name in early-1900s records (said SISS-tur).

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Sister

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Origin LowEnglish

MeaningSister is the ordinary English word, from Old English sweostor, 'sister'. In early-twentieth-century American records, especially in the South, a household nickname like 'Sister' for a daughter was sometimes written down as her given name. It is very likely an endearment recorded as a name rather than a formally bestowed one, so confidence is low and we flag it as such.

U.S. rank (1946)#5614 ↘ Falling

1946 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1914

Total births (all-time)≈ 563

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Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Sister is not a traditional given name but the plain English word, and its appearance in United States records is very likely the result of a family endearment for a daughter being set down as her formal name. It surfaces in tiny numbers in the early twentieth century, and we treat it honestly as a probable record artifact rather than inventing an etymology for it.

Because its story is a naming custom rather than a name with a settled origin, Sister sits apart from the usual vintage revivals; we flag it as very likely an endearment recorded as a name. Any child so recorded would today be of a great-grandmother generation.

Did you know? Household call-names like 'Sister', 'Baby' and 'Sonny' sometimes reached the birth or census record in the early twentieth century, which is the most likely story behind this entry.

Overall data confidence 30%

References — Sister — English word 'sister'; likely endearment/record artifact; early-1900s

Variations

SissySis

Nicknames

SisSissy

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Sister…

Sissy— a like household call-name for a girl

Baby— another endearment sometimes recorded as a name

Sonny— the boys' equivalent household name

Honey— a similar affectionate word-name

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Sister mean?

It is the English word 'sister', very likely a family endearment for a daughter that was recorded as a given name rather than a formally bestowed name.

How do you pronounce Sister?

It's said SISS-tur /ˈsɪs.tər/, two syllables with the stress on the first.

Is Sister a boy or girl name?

Sister appears here as a girl's name.

How popular is Sister?

It was always extremely rare, an early-twentieth-century record entry given to only a handful of girls and effectively unused today.