Kirsten
Kirsten was the 2841st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 60 babies. Its best year was 1991, when it ranked 154th with 1,931 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,126 places. More babies were named Kirsten in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Meaning Scandinavian form of Christina; "Christian" · Danish, Norwegian, Latin
Say it KUR-stin /ˈkɝstən/
- Rank in 2025
- #2,841 girls, down 357 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 60girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19911,931 babies
- Total since 1880
- 53,393babies recorded
What does the name Kirsten mean?
Kirsten is the Danish and Norwegian form of Christina, from the Latin Christiana, "Christian (woman)". Christina was the name of early martyrs and of medieval Scandinavian queens. Kirsten became well known in the US in the late 20th century and was most popular in the 1990s. Kirsten is also a German surname.
Christiana (Latin, “Christian (woman)”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Christina, Kirstin, Kristen, Kirsty, Kerstin.
See also: Latin names, names that mean God.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Kirsten', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Christina', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wikipedia, 'Kirsten (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Kirsten popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 212 since 1963.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,841 | 60 |
| 2020 | #2,484 | 70 |
| 2010 | #842 | 319 |
| 2000 | #255 | 1,273 |
| 1990 | #157 | 1,869 |
| 1980 | #343 | 705 |
| 1970 | #284 | 1,034 |
| 1960 | #629 | 258 |
| 1950 | #1,815 | 28 |
| 1940 | #1,614 | 24 |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Kirsten, counting every spelling?
Kirsten is the most common spelling of a name family that had 60 girls in 2025 across its spellings. Together these spellings went to 60 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kirsten | 60 | #2,841 | 267 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Kirsten?
60 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Kirsten (0.02 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Kirsten born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 140 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Kirsten.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Kirsten?
About 50,900 people born in the US named Kirsten are alive today, with a median age of 35; half are between 27 and 49. That makes Kirsten mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Kirsten by state
How common Kirsten was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Pennsylvania (5.4×). In 46 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Kirsten: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Kirsten, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Kirsten · Sibling names for Kirsten
Questions about the name Kirsten
What does Kirsten mean?
Kirsten means “Scandinavian form of Christina; "Christian"” (Danish, Norwegian, Latin origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Kirsten?
Kirsten was the 2841st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 60 babies. Its best year was 1991, when it ranked 154th with 1,931 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,126 places. More babies were named Kirsten in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Is Kirsten a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Kirsten in the US.
Where is Kirsten most popular?
In 2021–2025, Kirsten was most common in Pennsylvania (0.18 per 1,000 girls), followed by Arizona and New York.