Kurstin
A feminine name of uncertain origin with various suggested meanings.
Name Census estimates that about 449 living Americans carry the first name Kurstin. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kurstin today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kurstin births was 1996 (29 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kurstin. 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
449
~ 1 in 763,373 Americans
Peak year
1996
29 babies that year
Average age
29
years old
2013 SSA rank
#18,057
Tracked since 1967
Popularity
Kurstin: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kurstin from the 1960s through to the 2010s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 232 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
Kurstin 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 Kurstin during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kurstins live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. Illinois, Michigan, Ohio recorded the most babies named Kurstin, while Texas, Ohio, Michigan recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 6 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kurstin
The given name Kurstin is a relatively modern variant of the name Kirsten, which has its origins in the Germanic name Christa or Krista. These names are derived from the Greek word "Christos," meaning "anointed one" or "Christ."
The name Kirsten gained popularity in Scandinavia during the Middle Ages, particularly in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It was often used as a feminine form of the masculine name Christian or Kristian. The earliest recorded use of the name Kirsten dates back to the 13th century in Denmark.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Kirsten was commonly found in various historical records and documents across Scandinavia. During this period, variants such as Kirstine, Kirstina, and Kirstine emerged, reflecting regional spelling variations.
One of the earliest known historical figures with the name Kirsten was Kirsten Munk (1598-1658), a Danish noble and mistress of King Christian IV of Denmark. Another notable figure was Kirsten Jacobsdatter (1608-1689), a Norwegian farmer and alleged witch who was tried and acquitted during the Scandinavian witch trials.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the name Kirsten remained popular in Scandinavia, and it began to spread to other parts of Europe and beyond. Several variations and spellings emerged, including Kirstin, Kirsti, and Kirsty.
One notable figure from this period was Kirsten Kjeldsen (1737-1788), a Danish painter and one of the first female students at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. Another was Kirsten Piil (1825-1901), a Norwegian poet and author known for her collection of folklore and fairy tales.
As the name spread globally, further variants emerged, including the spelling Kurstin. While not as common as the traditional Kirsten, Kurstin has been adopted by a small number of individuals throughout history.
One early example is Kurstin Basset (1892-1973), an American author and playwright known for her works on historical figures and events. Another notable figure is Kurstin Granlund (1925-2015), a Finnish jazz singer and actress who gained popularity in the 1950s and 1960s.
In more recent times, Kurstin has been used as a given name, but its historical roots and connections to the name Kirsten remain evident.
People
Kurstin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kurstin 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
Kurstin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kurstin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 449 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kurstin 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 763,373 US residents.
Is Kurstin a common name?
We classify Kurstin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 463 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kurstin most popular?
The single biggest year for Kurstin was 1996, when 29 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kurstin is about 29 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Kurstin a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kurstin 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.