NameCensus.
Very Rare

Sista

A feminine Spanish name derived from the word "sister".

Name Census estimates that about 3 living Americans carry the first name Sista. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Sista today is around 93 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sista births was 1922 (6 babies).

This page is the full Name Census profile for Sista. 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

  • The typical person named Sista is about 93 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Sistas were born before 1943.
  • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Sista. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.

People living today

3

~ 1 in 114,251,446 Americans

Peak year

1922

6 babies that year

Average age

93

years old

1938 SSA rank

#4,923

Tracked since 1880

Origin

Meaning and history of Sista

The name Sista originates from the Sanskrit language and has its roots in ancient Indian culture. Derived from the word "sishta," it means "well-behaved" or "disciplined." This name was commonly used during the Vedic period, which spanned from around 1500 BCE to 500 BCE.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sista can be found in the Mahabharata, a ancient Hindu epic that dates back to the 8th or 9th century BCE. In this text, Sista is mentioned as a wise and virtuous sage who imparted valuable teachings to the Pandava princes.

Throughout the centuries, the name Sista has been borne by several notable individuals. In the 6th century CE, Sista Acharya was a renowned Sanskrit scholar and author who wrote extensively on grammar and linguistics. His works, such as the "Siddhanta Kaumudi," had a profound impact on the study of Sanskrit language and literature.

During the 12th century, Sista Devi was a prominent Hindu mystic and poet from Bengal. Her devotional compositions, known as "Sista Mangal Kavya," were widely celebrated and are still recited today in certain regions of India.

In the 14th century, Sista Khan was a powerful military commander who served under the Delhi Sultanate. He played a crucial role in the expansion and consolidation of the Sultanate's territories, particularly in the northern regions of India.

Another notable figure with the name Sista was Sista Charan Majumdar, a 19th-century Bengali writer and social reformer. Born in 1838, he was a pioneering figure in the Bengali Renaissance movement and advocated for women's education and the abolition of social evils like child marriage.

While the name Sista has its origins in ancient India, it has transcended cultural boundaries and been adopted by various communities around the world. However, its historical significance and association with discipline, wisdom, and virtue remain deeply rooted in its Sanskrit etymological origins.

People

Sista + last name combinations

How many people share a full name with Sista as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.

Related

Other names starting with S

Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.

FAQ

Sista: questions and answers

How many people in the U.S. are named Sista?

Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sista 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 114,251,446 US residents.

Is Sista a common name?

We classify Sista as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 31 babies have been registered with this name.

When was Sista most popular?

The single biggest year for Sista was 1922, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sista is about 93 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.

Is Sista a female name?

Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sista 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.

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with the first name

Sista

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