Krista
A feminine name of Greek origin referring to the Christian faith.
Name Census estimates that about 68,058 living Americans carry the first name Krista. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Krista today is around 42 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Krista births was 1986 (3,065 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Krista. 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
- • Although Krista is used almost entirely for girls, the SSA data does show 148 boys registered with the name since 1880.
- • Compared to the 1980s, recent registration numbers for Krista have dropped to less than 5% of what they once were.
People living today
68K
~ 1 in 5,036 Americans
Peak year
1986
3,065 babies that year
Average age
42
years old
1992 SSA rank
#4,600
Tracked since 1937
Gender
Gender distribution for Krista
Out of the 73,823 babies given the name Krista since 1880, 99.8% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Krista as a male name
- Ranked #8,006 in 1992
- 6 male births in 1992
- Peak: 1972 (12 births)
Krista as a female name
- Ranked #4,600 in 2024
- 30 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1986 (3,054 births)
Popularity
Krista: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Krista from the 1930s through to the 2020s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 22,935 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Krista 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 Krista during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kristas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 51 states and territories. California, Ohio, Pennsylvania recorded the most babies named Krista, while Hawaii, District of Columbia, Rhode Island recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 1,396 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Krista
The name Krista is a feminine given name derived from the Greek word "Christos," meaning "anointed one" or "messiah." It is a variant of the name Christina, which has its roots in Christianity. The name gained popularity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly in Scandinavian countries and parts of Europe.
Krista has been found in various historical records and literary works throughout the centuries. In the Middle Ages, it appeared in religious texts and chronicles, often referring to female Christians or followers of the faith. One of the earliest recorded uses of the name was in a 12th-century German manuscript, where a woman named Krista was mentioned as a devout believer.
Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the name Krista. One of the most famous was Krista von Buren (c. 1415-1468), a German nun and mystic who wrote extensively about her spiritual experiences and visions. Another prominent figure was Krista Nilsson (1876-1950), a Swedish opera singer renowned for her performances in the works of Richard Wagner and other composers.
In the realm of literature, the name Krista has been used for fictional characters as well. One example is Krista Mundt, a character in the novel "The Tin Drum" by Günter Grass, which won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1999. The book, set in the early 20th century, explores themes of identity and resistance during the rise of Nazism in Germany.
Other notable individuals named Krista include Krista Tippett (born 1960), an American journalist and author known for her work on religion and ethics, and Krista Vernoff (born 1977), an American screenwriter and producer best known for her work on the television series "Grey's Anatomy."
While the name Krista has its roots in Christianity and has been present throughout history, it has also gained popularity as a secular name in modern times, appreciated for its simple and elegant sound.
People
Krista + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Krista 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
Krista: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Krista?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 68,058 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Krista 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 5,036 US residents.
Is Krista a common name?
We classify Krista as "Uncommon". It ranks above 99.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 73,823 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Krista most popular?
The single biggest year for Krista was 1986, when 3,065 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Krista is about 42 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Krista a female name?
Yes, 99.8% of people registered as Krista 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.