Krystyna
A feminine given name of Greek origin meaning "a Christian".
Name Census estimates that about 1,547 living Americans carry the first name Krystyna. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Krystyna today is around 38 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Krystyna births was 1990 (91 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Krystyna. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Krystyna with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
1.5K
~ 1 in 221,561 Americans
Peak year
1990
91 babies that year
Average age
38
years old
2020 SSA rank
#12,861
Tracked since 1952
Census
Krystyna in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 6,655 people with the first name Krystyna, which placed it at #3,229 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#3,229
National first-name rank
People counted
6.7K
6,655 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
2.2
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
94.2% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Krystyna
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Krystyna is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Black (1.4%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Krystyna described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Krystyna at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.2% · 6,269
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 202
- Black or African American1.4% · 93
- Two or more races0.9% · 58
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 7
Popularity
Krystyna: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Krystyna from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 519 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
Krystyna 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 Krystyna during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Krystynas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 11 states and territories. Illinois, New York, California recorded the most babies named Krystyna, while Colorado, Pennsylvania, Connecticut recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 38 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Krystyna
Krystyna is a feminine given name with Polish origins, derived from the Greek name Christina, which itself comes from the word "Christos" meaning "anointed" or "Christ-bearer". The name's roots can be traced back to the early centuries of Christianity, when it was given to girls born around the time of Christmas or associated with the Christian faith.
The earliest recorded use of the name Krystyna dates back to the 11th century in Poland, where it became a popular choice among the nobility and royalty. One of the most notable historical figures bearing this name was Krystyna Szwedzka (1626-1689), a Polish princess who became the Queen of Sweden after marrying King Gustavus Adolphus.
In the 16th century, the name gained prominence in other parts of Europe, particularly in Italy and Germany, where variations like Cristina and Kristina were used. During this time, it was also adopted by some Catholic families as a way to honor St. Christina the Astonishing, a 13th-century Belgian saint known for her piety and miracles.
Another noteworthy bearer of the name was Krystyna Skarbek (1908-1952), a Polish World War II heroine who served as a secret agent for the British Special Operations Executive. Her bravery and espionage work earned her numerous honors, including the George Medal and the Croix de Guerre.
In the world of literature, Krystyna Miłobędzka (1928-2022) was a renowned Polish writer and poet, best known for her works exploring themes of love, war, and the human condition. Her poetry collections, such as "Obrzeża" (Outskirts) and "Studzienka" (Little Well), earned her critical acclaim and numerous literary awards.
Moving to the realm of music, Krystyna Prońko (1948-2022) was a celebrated Polish singer and actress who rose to fame in the 1970s and 1980s. Her powerful voice and versatile performances in musicals and films endeared her to audiences across Poland and beyond.
Throughout history, the name Krystyna has been associated with strength, resilience, and a connection to the Christian faith. Its enduring popularity, particularly in Poland and other Slavic countries, reflects the rich cultural heritage and historical significance it carries.
People
Krystyna + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Krystyna 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
Krystyna: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Krystyna?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,547 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Krystyna 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 221,561 US residents.
Is Krystyna a common name?
We classify Krystyna as "Rare". It ranks above 92.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,654 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Krystyna most popular?
The single biggest year for Krystyna was 1990, when 91 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Krystyna is about 38 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Krystyna in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 6,655 people with the name Krystyna, or 2.20 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #3,229 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Krystyna in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Krystyna?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Krystyna appears almost entirely female. Of the 6,654 people counted with this name, 99.8% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Krystyna?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Krystyna is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Black (1.4%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Krystyna most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Krystyna in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (6,269 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Krystyna in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Krystyna a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Krystyna 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 Krystyna still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Krystyna 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 Krystyna 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.
How many people have Krystyna as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many people share the name Krystyna on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.