Kristofferson
A masculine Swedish name derived from the elements Krist (Christ) and fors (torrent or waterfall).
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Kristofferson. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kristofferson today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kristofferson births was 2015 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kristofferson. 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 Kristofferson. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
2015
6 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2017 SSA rank
#13,399
Tracked since 2015
Popularity
Kristofferson: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Kristofferson 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 Kristofferson during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 11 | 0 | 11 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Kristofferson
The given name Kristofferson is a Swedish masculine name derived from the combination of two separate elements - 'Kristoffer' and 'son'. The name Kristoffer itself is the Swedish form of the name Christopher, which has Greek origins and means 'bearer of Christ'. The second part 'son' is a common suffix used in Scandinavian naming traditions to indicate patronymic lineage.
The earliest recorded use of the name Kristofferson dates back to the 17th century in Sweden and other Scandinavian countries. It was particularly prevalent among the Swedish nobility and upper classes, where the use of compound surnames was a common practice. The name gained popularity as a way to distinguish individuals within the same family and to indicate their lineage.
In terms of historical references, the name Kristofferson does not appear to have any direct associations with ancient texts or religious scriptures. However, its root name Christopher has biblical origins, as it refers to the Christian legend of St. Christopher, who carried the Christ child across a river.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the name Kristofferson was Kristoffer Kristofferson Rhutenius (1665-1743), a Swedish clergyman and bishop of Lund, who lived during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Another influential figure was Kristoffer Kristofferson Mørk (1795-1875), a Norwegian politician and member of the Norwegian Constituent Assembly, which drafted the Constitution of Norway in 1814.
In the 20th century, the name gained widespread recognition through the American singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson (born 1936). Known for his distinctive gravelly voice and poetic lyrics, Kristofferson achieved success in both the country and folk music genres, penning hits such as "Me and Bobby McGee" and "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down".
Other notable individuals with the name Kristofferson include the Norwegian writer and critic Kristoffer Kristofferson Janson (1842-1917), the Swedish painter Kristoffer Kristofferson Artelius (1833-1916), and the American football player Kristoffer Kristofferson Dielman (born 1983), who played for the San Diego Chargers in the NFL.
Overall, the name Kristofferson has a rich history rooted in Scandinavian naming traditions, with its origins dating back to the 17th century. While not directly associated with ancient texts or scriptures, its root name Christopher has biblical significance, contributing to the name's enduring popularity across cultures and generations.
People
Kristofferson + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kristofferson 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
Kristofferson: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kristofferson?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kristofferson 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Kristofferson a common name?
We classify Kristofferson as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kristofferson most popular?
The single biggest year for Kristofferson was 2015, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kristofferson is about 10 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 Kristofferson in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kristofferson a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kristofferson in the SSA data are male. 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 Kristofferson still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kristofferson 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 Kristofferson 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 have the name Kristofferson?
Find out how many Americans are named Kristofferson on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.