Kirsti
A feminine name of Finnish origin meaning "follower of Christ".
Name Census estimates that about 938 living Americans carry the first name Kirsti. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kirsti today is around 40 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kirsti births was 1991 (106 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kirsti. 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
938
~ 1 in 365,410 Americans
Peak year
1991
106 babies that year
Average age
40
years old
2007 SSA rank
#14,747
Tracked since 1952
Popularity
Kirsti: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kirsti from the 1950s through to the 2000s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 500 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kirsti 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 Kirsti during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kirstis live
The SSA's state-level files cover 11 states and territories. Texas, California, Ohio recorded the most babies named Kirsti, while Missouri, Michigan, Louisiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 16 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kirsti
Kirsti is a feminine given name with roots in the Old Norse language. It is derived from the name Kristin, which is a Scandinavian form of the Greek name Christina, meaning "a Christian" or "follower of Christ." The name gained popularity in the Nordic countries during the medieval period as Christianity spread throughout the region.
The earliest recorded use of the name Kirsti dates back to the 13th century in Iceland, where it was spelled as Kyrsti or Kyrstín. It was a common name among Norse women during this time, particularly in Iceland and Norway. The name's connection to Christianity likely contributed to its widespread adoption in these areas.
One of the earliest known historical figures with the name Kirsti was Kirsti Torfadóttir, an Icelandic noblewoman who lived in the 14th century. She was married to Þórir Jónsson, a prominent chieftain in Iceland. Another notable bearer of the name was Kirsti Fluga, a Norwegian woman who was accused of witchcraft in the 17th century and became the subject of a famous witch trial.
In the 19th century, the name Kirsti gained popularity in Finland, where it was often spelled as Kirstiina or Kristiina. One of the most famous Finnish women with this name was Kirsti Kurikka (1879-1944), a pioneering actress and theater director who played a significant role in the development of Finnish theater.
Another notable figure was Kirsti Sparre (1912-1995), a Swedish countess and journalist who worked as a war correspondent during World War II. She was renowned for her bravery and her commitment to reporting the truth, even in the face of danger.
In more recent history, Kirsti Skog (1940-2019) was a Norwegian politician who served as a member of the Storting, the Norwegian parliament, for over 20 years. She was a prominent figure in the Labour Party and played a significant role in shaping Norway's social and economic policies.
While the name Kirsti is not as common today as it once was, it remains a beloved name in Scandinavian and Nordic countries, carrying with it a rich cultural heritage and a connection to the region's Christian roots.
People
Kirsti + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kirsti 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
Kirsti: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kirsti?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 938 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kirsti 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 365,410 US residents.
Is Kirsti a common name?
We classify Kirsti as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,010 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kirsti most popular?
The single biggest year for Kirsti was 1991, when 106 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kirsti is about 40 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Kirsti a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kirsti 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.