Krista
Krista was the 3679th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 41 babies. Its best year was 1986, when it ranked 93rd with 3,054 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,998 places. More babies were named Krista in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Meaning "Christian" · Latin, Greek, German
Say it KRIS-tuh /ˈkrɪstə/
- Rank in 2025
- #3,679 girls, down 979 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 41girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19863,054 babies
- Total since 1880
- 73,863babies recorded
What does the name Krista mean?
Krista is a spelling of Christa. Wiktionary describes Christa as a recent contraction of Christina, reinforced in English by the German name Christa. Christina was the name of early martyrs and comes from the Latin Christiana, "Christian (woman)", built on Greek Christos, "anointed". Wikipedia notes that Krista is also the usual form in Finland, Estonia and Sweden. In the US it was most popular in the 1970s and 1980s.
Christiana (Latin, “Christian (woman)”)Χριστός (Ancient Greek, “anointed (Christ)”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Christa, Christina, Kristen, Kirsten, Krystal.
See also: Latin names, names that mean God.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Krista', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Christa', 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, 'Krista', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Krista popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 148 since 1970.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,679 | 41 |
| 2020 | #2,700 | 62 |
| 2010 | #1,111 | 222 |
| 2000 | #408 | 695 |
| 1990 | #145 | 2,144 |
| 1980 | #121 | 2,531 |
| 1970 | #136 | 2,589 |
| 1960 | #551 | 314 |
| 1950 | #828 | 111 |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Krista, counting every spelling?
Krista is the most common spelling of a name family that had 58 girls in 2025 across its spellings. Together these spellings went to 58 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Krista | 41 | #3,679 | 222 |
| Christa | 17 | #6,598 | 115 |
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 Krista?
41 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Krista (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Krista 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 204 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Krista.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Krista?
About 70,100 people born in the US named Krista are alive today, with a median age of 42; half are between 35 and 52. That makes Krista 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.
Krista by state
How common Krista was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Indiana (7.0×), Ohio (5.1×). In 47 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 Krista: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Krista, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Krista · Sibling names for Krista
Questions about the name Krista
What does Krista mean?
Krista means “"Christian"” (Latin, Greek, German origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Krista?
Krista was the 3679th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 41 babies. Its best year was 1986, when it ranked 93rd with 3,054 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,998 places. More babies were named Krista in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Is Krista a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Krista in the US.
Where is Krista most popular?
In 2021–2025, Krista was most common in Indiana (0.19 per 1,000 girls), followed by Ohio and Pennsylvania.