Emma Girl
EH-muh
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#3
Sinclair
UnisexScottish, French· “from Saint-Clair, a Norman place name”
- Meaning
- from Saint-Clair, a Norman place name
- Origin
- Scottish, French
- Pronunciation
- sin-KLAIR
- Syllables
- 2
- US rank 2025
- #4,740
- US babies 2025
- 29
- Best rank
- #4,671 (1994)
- Peak year
- 2025
Meaning and origin of Sinclair
Sinclair is a Scottish and French name that means “from Saint-Clair, a Norman place name”.
Sinclair is a Scottish surname that comes from the Norman place name Saint-Clair, named after a Saint Clair, a hermit whose name comes from the Latin clarus, bright or clear. The Sinclair family settled in Scotland in the Middle Ages and became Earls of Orkney and Caithness. As a first name it is associated with the writer Sinclair Lewis, and the surname is known through the novelist Upton Sinclair. It is said sin-KLAIR, with the stress on the second syllable. The name works for boys and girls and has an elegant, surname-first style. Clair and Sin are possible short forms.
Popularity over time
Sinclair first appears in US Social Security records in 1989. It has never ranked in the national top 1,000, which keeps it genuinely uncommon. Its best national rank was #4,671 in 1994, and the most babies received it in 2025, when 29 were named Sinclair. In 2025, 29 babies were named Sinclair, and it ranked #4,740 nationally. That is 71% more than ten years earlier, so it is clearly on the rise.
Its national rank moved from #7,119 in 2000, #19,457 in 2010, and #4,740 in 2025. Of the 477 US girls named Sinclair since records began, 25% were born in the 2010s, its biggest decade. The 2020s come next, with 119 babies.
Other babies' names that peaked around the same time include Sonnie, Jona, Clancy, Sun, and Windsor.
Where it is most popular (2025)
In 2025, Sinclair ranked highest in Georgia.
| State | Rank there | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia | #1753 | 5 |
Gender, sound and spelling
Sinclair is used for both boys and girls: over the last 20 years about 66% of US babies named Sinclair were girls and 34% were boys.
Sinclair is usually pronounced sin-KLAIR, with two syllables. It has eight letters, starts with S and ends in “-ir”.
Middle names for Sinclair
A few middle names that flow with Sinclair: each avoids a matching first letter, a rhyme and a vowel clash where the names meet.
Sibling names for Sinclair
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Lists that include Sinclair
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Sinclair mean?
Sinclair is a Scottish and French name that means “from Saint-Clair, a Norman place name”.
What is the origin of the name Sinclair?
Sinclair has Scottish and French roots. Sinclair is a Scottish surname that comes from the Norman place name Saint-Clair, named after a Saint Clair, a hermit whose name comes from the Latin clarus, bright or clear.
Is Sinclair a popular name?
Not especially. Sinclair ranked #4,740 in the US in 2025, which puts it outside the top 1,000.
Is Sinclair a boy or girl name?
Sinclair is used for both boys and girls: over the last 20 years about 66% of US babies named Sinclair were girls and 34% were boys.
How do you pronounce Sinclair?
Sinclair is usually pronounced sin-KLAIR. Stressed syllables are in capital letters.
Popularity figures come from US Social Security card applications (names given to at least five babies in a year, 1880 to 2025). How we source names and meanings