Kerstie
A feminine diminutive form of the name Christina, meaning "follower of Christ".
Name Census estimates that about 66 living Americans carry the first name Kerstie. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kerstie today is around 34 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kerstie births was 1990 (16 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kerstie. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Kerstie. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
66
~ 1 in 5,193,248 Americans
Peak year
1990
16 babies that year
Average age
34
years old
1998 SSA rank
#15,354
Tracked since 1989
Popularity
Kerstie: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kerstie from the 1980s through to the 1990s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 62 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kerstie 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 Kerstie during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kerstie
The name Kerstie is a feminine given name of English origin, derived from the Old English word "Cristes" meaning "Christ's." It is a variant spelling of the name Christina, which itself is derived from the Latin name "Christianus," meaning "a Christian."
The name Kerstie first appeared in historical records in the late Middle Ages, around the 13th century. It was primarily used as a feminine form of the name Christian, which was a popular name for both males and females during this time period, as it signified a strong connection to the Christian faith.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name Kerstie was Kerstie de Merton, a 13th-century English noblewoman who was a member of the influential de Merton family. Another early example is Kerstie de Beaumont, who lived in the late 14th century and was a member of the aristocratic Beaumont family in England.
In the 16th century, the name Kerstie was particularly popular among Puritan families in England, as it reflected their strong religious beliefs and devotion to the Protestant faith. One notable figure from this era was Kerstie Hutchinson (1590-1668), a Puritan religious leader and midwife who was banished from Massachusetts Bay Colony for her controversial religious views.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name Kerstie was also used in Scotland, where it was sometimes spelled as "Kirstie" or "Kirsty." A famous bearer of the name from this period was Kerstie Hume (1677-1745), a Scottish philosopher and historian who was a prominent figure in the Scottish Enlightenment.
Another notable Kerstie in history was Kerstie Alley (1951-2022), an American actress and comedian best known for her roles in the television series "Cheers" and "Veronica's Closet." She won both an Emmy and a Golden Globe Award for her portrayal of Rebecca Howe on "Cheers."
While the name Kerstie has been less common in recent times, it continues to be used as a variant spelling of Christina, particularly in English-speaking countries with a strong Christian heritage. Its historical roots and association with religious devotion have contributed to its enduring appeal as a feminine given name.
People
Kerstie + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kerstie as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Kerstie: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kerstie?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 66 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kerstie 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 5,193,248 US residents.
Is Kerstie a common name?
We classify Kerstie as "Very Rare". It ranks above 58.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 69 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kerstie most popular?
The single biggest year for Kerstie was 1990, when 16 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kerstie is about 34 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Kerstie in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kerstie a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kerstie 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.
Is Kerstie still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kerstie in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Kerstie can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Kerstie?
Find out how many people have the name Kerstie on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.