Kristen
Kristen was the 1999th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 96 babies. Its best year was 1982, when it ranked 33rd with 9,534 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,109 places. More babies were named Kristen in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Christine) French form of Christina; 'Christian' · French, Latin, Greek
- Rank in 2025
- #1,999 girls, down 451 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 96girls
- Girls and boys
- 94% girls, 6% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19829,534 babies
- Total since 1880
- 220,952babies recorded
What does the name Kristen mean?
Kristen is a spelling of Christine, pronounced the same way, so it shares Christine's meaning and origin.
Christine is the French form of Christina, as Wiktionary notes. Christina comes from Latin Christiana, 'a Christian, follower of Christ', from Greek Khristos 'anointed', a translation of Hebrew mashiaḥ 'messiah'. Saint Christina was an early martyr, and the medieval writer Christine de Pizan is a famous bearer. It was very common in the US in the mid-20th century.
Χριστός (Khristos) (Ancient Greek, “anointed; Christ”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Christina, Kristine, Christie, Tina, Chris.
See also: Latin names, names that mean God.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Christine', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Christina', DMNES (Durham University)
Kristen popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,999 | #7,985 | 96 | 10 |
| 2020 | #1,548 | #7,839 | 137 | 10 |
| 2010 | #577 | #6,570 | 508 | 13 |
| 2000 | #142 | #7,155 | 2,356 | 9 |
| 1990 | #42 | #1,539 | 8,073 | 55 |
| 1980 | #39 | #1,119 | 7,316 | 66 |
| 1970 | #83 | #1,213 | 4,600 | 47 |
| 1960 | #415 | #1,948 | 541 | 18 |
| 1950 | #678 | #3,192 | 158 | 7 |
| 1940 | #3,684 | — | 7 | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Kristen, counting every spelling?
Kristen is a spelling of Christine, a name family that ranked #769 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,999 for Kristen on its own. Together these spellings went to 355 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christine | 176 | #1,274 | 1,015 |
| Kristen | 96 | #1,999 | 673 |
| Kristine | 49 | #3,228 | 231 |
| Kristin | 29 | #4,706 | 171 |
| Christyn | 5 | #15,416 | 33 |
| Christin | — | — | 31 |
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 Kristen?
96 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Kristen (0.03 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Kristen 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 87 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Kristen.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Kristen?
About 209,200 people born in the US named Kristen are alive today, with a median age of 41; half are between 34 and 48. That makes Kristen 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.
Kristen by state
How common Kristen was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Georgia (1.6×), Texas (1.5×). In 34 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 Kristen: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Kristen, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Kristen
What does Kristen mean?
Kristen is a spelling of Christine, which means “French form of Christina; 'Christian'” (French, Latin, Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Kristen?
Kristen was the 1999th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 96 babies. Its best year was 1982, when it ranked 33rd with 9,534 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,109 places. More babies were named Kristen in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Is Kristen a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 94% girls, 6% boys given the name Kristen in the US.
Where is Kristen most popular?
In 2021–2025, Kristen was most common in Alabama (0.14 per 1,000 girls), followed by Georgia and Texas.