girl's name
Krista
KRIS-tuh
- Origin German
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 76,420
Ireland
#621
1978 births
Krista means a follower of Christ, and it is the sixth spelling of this name family to appear in our gap band — after Kristin, Kristen, Kristina, Kristine and Kristi. We record 74,230 lifetime births for it, strongest in the United States.
- Krista is a name of German origin.
- Peaked in 1986, when 3,065 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 80,867 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1937.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Krista over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1930s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1930s | 6 |
| 1940s | 187 |
| 1950s | 2,043 |
| 1960s | 7,076 |
| 1970s | 19,878 |
| 1980s | 22,935 |
| 1990s | 15,219 |
| 2000s | 4,931 |
| 2010s | 1,304 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 284 |
What Krista means
Krista means a follower of Christ, or a Christian. The Latin adjective for belonging to Christ is applied as a name rather than translated into a description.
Where Krista comes from
Krista is a German and Scandinavian short form of Christina, from the Latin Christiana — a Christian. Christos translates the Hebrew mashiach, the anointed one, a reference to the oil poured at a coronation, so the whole family descends from a title rather than a personal name. The K-spelling is continental, and American use divided it across an unusual number of forms, six of which have now appeared in this band alone.
Krista in use
Krista peaked in the United States in 1986, when 3,065 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It charts in exactly one of the six markets we track, at 3,710th in the United States on 41 births, across 76,420 lifetime births. With Kristin, Kristen, Kristina, Kristine and Kristi it makes six spellings of one name in our gap band, all American-led.
How popular is Krista?
In 2025, Krista was given to 41 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Krista is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Krista
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Krista also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Krista over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Krista in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Krista
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Krista — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Krista
What does the name Krista mean?
A follower of Christ, from the Latin Christiana.
How many spellings are there?
Our gap band alone has Kristin, Kristen, Kristina, Kristine, Kristi and Krista — six for one name.
Is it Krista or Christa?
Both are used; Krista is the more common American spelling.
How popular is Krista?
3710th in the United States, down from a 1986 peak of 3,065 births.
Is Krista a girl's or a boy's name?
Krista is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Krista?
Krista has 2 syllables.
Is Krista a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Krista currently ranks #3,710 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.