Christelle
Feminine name of French origin meaning "little Christian".
Name Census estimates that about 985 living Americans carry the first name Christelle. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Christelle today is around 27 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Christelle births was 2010 (31 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Christelle. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
985
~ 1 in 347,974 Americans
Peak year
2010
31 babies that year
Average age
27
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,025
Tracked since 1915
Popularity
Christelle: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Christelle from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 244 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Christelle remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Christelle by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Christelle during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Christelles live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. Florida, New York, California recorded the most babies named Christelle, while Louisiana, Texas, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 54 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Christelle
Christelle is a French feminine given name derived from the Late Latin name Christiana, which means "a Christian woman" or "follower of Christ." The name has its origins in ancient Rome, where early Christians adopted names reflecting their newfound faith.
The name Christelle gained popularity during the Middle Ages, particularly in France and other parts of Western Europe. It was often used in religious contexts, such as for nuns or devout Christian women. The earliest recorded use of the name dates back to the 12th century, when it appeared in French monastic records.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name Christelle was Christelle de Courtenay, a 13th-century French noblewoman who was the daughter of Robert de Courtenay, Lord of Champignelles. She lived from around 1220 to 1285 and was a prominent figure in the court of King Louis IX of France.
In the 15th century, Christelle de Pisan, a renowned Italian-French writer and poet, was born in Venice around 1364. She is considered one of the earliest feminist writers and was a significant figure in the literary circles of medieval France.
Another notable Christelle was Christelle de Lamoignon, a 17th-century French aristocrat and philanthropist. She was born in 1621 and was known for her charitable works and support for the poor and underprivileged in Paris.
In the 19th century, Christelle Muller was a French painter and illustrator who lived from 1841 to 1896. She was known for her realistic depictions of rural life and landscapes, and her works were exhibited in the prestigious Paris Salon.
Christelle Petillonin, born in 1942, is a contemporary French actress who has appeared in numerous films and television shows. She has had a long and successful career in French cinema and is still active in the industry today.
People
Christelle + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Christelle as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Christelle: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Christelle?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 985 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Christelle going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 347,974 US residents.
Is Christelle a common name?
We classify Christelle as "Very Rare". It ranks above 90% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,084 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Christelle most popular?
The single biggest year for Christelle was 2010, when 31 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Christelle is about 27 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Christelle a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Christelle in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.