John Sterling may refer to:
- John Sterling (author) (1806–1844), British author, subject of a life by Thomas Carlyle
- Major-General John Barton Sterling (1840–1926), his son and commander of the Coldstream Guards
- John Sterling, character in Robert A. Heinlein's novel The Rolling Stones
- John Sterling, player on 1890 Philadelphia Athletics baseball team, see 1890 Philadelphia Athletics season
- John Sterling (sportscaster) (born 1948), radio announcer for the New York Yankees
- John Sterling (American football) (born 1964), American football player
- John Allen Sterling (1857–1918), American politician from Illinois
- John Whelan Sterling (1816–1885), see List of Presidents and Chancellors of the University of Wisconsin–Madison
- John William Sterling (1844–1918), philanthropist, major benefactor to Yale University
- John Sterling Rockefeller (1904–1988), businessman, member of Rockefeller family
- John T. Sterling (1841–1920), Union Army soldier and Medal of Honor recipient
Famous quotes containing the word sterling:
“The great difficulty is first to win a reputation; the next to keep it while you live; and the next to preserve it after you die, when affection and interest are over, and nothing but sterling excellence can preserve your name. Never suffer youth to be an excuse for inadequacy, nor age and fame to be an excuse for indolence.”
—Benjamin Haydon (1786–1846)