Kriston
A modern masculine name derived from the Greek word "Christos" meaning "anointed".
Name Census estimates that about 1,191 living Americans carry the first name Kriston. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 57.1% of registrations being female. The average person named Kriston today is around 38 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kriston births was 1980 (57 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kriston. 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
- • Kriston sits in rare territory as a truly gender-neutral name, given to boys and girls in near-equal numbers.
People living today
1.2K
~ 1 in 287,787 Americans
Peak year
1980
57 babies that year
Average age
38
years old
2022 SSA rank
#13,470
Tracked since 1961
Gender
Gender distribution for Kriston
Kriston is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 1,260 total registrations, 540 (42.9%) were male and 720 (57.1%) were female.
Kriston as a male name
- Ranked #13,470 in 2022
- 5 male births in 2022
- Peak: 1976 (19 births)
Kriston as a female name
- Ranked #14,653 in 2008
- 7 female births in 2008
- Peak: 1980 (39 births)
Popularity
Kriston: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kriston from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 438 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
Kriston 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 Kriston during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kristons live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. Texas, California, Tennessee recorded the most babies named Kriston, while South Carolina, Tennessee, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 9 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kriston
The given name Kriston has its origins in ancient Greek and is derived from the word "Christos," which means "anointed one" or "the chosen one." This name is closely linked to Christianity and the figure of Jesus Christ. The name Kriston is a variant spelling of the more common name Christian, which emerged during the early days of Christianity.
In the New Testament, the name Christian is first mentioned in the Book of Acts, where it is stated that the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. This name was initially used as a way to identify the followers of Jesus Christ and their belief in his teachings. Over time, the name Christian and its variants, such as Kriston, became popular among believers as a way to honor their faith.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kriston can be found in the writings of the early Christian theologian Tertullian, who lived in the late 2nd and early 3rd centuries AD. Tertullian referred to the term "Christianus" in his writings, which is the Latin form of the name Christian and its variants.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Kriston or its variations. One of the most famous is Kriston Arnitzes, a Byzantine general and statesman who lived in the 11th century AD. He played a crucial role in the battles against the Seljuk Turks and was renowned for his military strategies.
Another famous Kriston was Kriston Manolis, a Greek revolutionary who fought against Ottoman rule during the Greek War of Independence in the early 19th century. He was a prominent figure in the struggle for Greek independence and is remembered as a hero of the revolution.
In the realm of literature, Kriston de Troyes was a 12th-century French poet and author who is best known for his courtly romances and contributions to the Arthurian legend. His works, such as "Erec and Enide" and "Cligès," were highly influential in shaping the genre of medieval romance literature.
In the field of science, Kriston Huygens was a Dutch mathematician, astronomer, and physicist who lived in the 17th century. He made significant contributions to the study of optics, mechanics, and the development of the pendulum clock. Huygens is also credited with discovering the rings of Saturn and the first observed evidence of extraterrestrial life in the form of the Martian moons.
Finally, Kriston Wren was an English architect and scholar who lived in the 17th century. He is best known for his contributions to the reconstruction of London after the Great Fire of 1666, including the design of St. Paul's Cathedral and numerous churches in the city. Wren's architectural style heavily influenced the English Baroque movement and left a lasting impact on the cityscape of London.
People
Kriston + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kriston 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
Kriston: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kriston?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,191 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kriston 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 287,787 US residents.
Is Kriston a common name?
We classify Kriston as "Rare". It ranks above 91.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,260 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kriston most popular?
The single biggest year for Kriston was 1980, when 57 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kriston is about 38 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Kriston a female name?
Yes, 57.1% of people registered as Kriston 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.