girl's name
Kristine
kris-TEEN
- Origin Scandinavian
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 8
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 85,855
Scotland
#783
1992 births
Kristine means a follower of Christ, and it is the fourth spelling of this name to appear in our gap band — after Kristin, Kristen and Kristina, all four of them American-led rather than Scandinavian.
- Kristine is a name of Scandinavian origin.
- Peaked in 1970, when 3,541 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 67,664 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1916.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Kristine over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1910s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 29 |
| 1920s | 72 |
| 1930s | 122 |
| 1940s | 4,046 |
| 1950s | 12,085 |
| 1960s | 24,185 |
| 1970s | 20,596 |
| 1980s | 13,628 |
| 1990s | 6,546 |
| 2000s | 2,041 |
| 2010s | 890 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 274 |
What Kristine means
Kristine means a follower of Christ, or a Christian. The Latin adjective for belonging to Christ is used as a name rather than translated into a description.
Where Kristine comes from
Kristine is a Scandinavian and German form of Christine, from the Latin Christiana — a Christian. Christos translates the Hebrew mashiach, the anointed one, referring 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; English uses Ch-. Our gap band has now produced Kristin, Kristen, Kristina and Kristine, which between them divided one sound four ways in twentieth-century America.
Kristine in use
Kristine peaked in the United States in 1970, when 3,541 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It charts in exactly one of the six markets we track, at 3,241st in the United States on 49 births, across 85,855 lifetime births. Like its three sister spellings it never established itself outside America, despite the form being Scandinavian.
How popular is Kristine?
In 2025, Kristine was given to 49 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Kristine 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 Kristine
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Kristine also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Kristine over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Kristine
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Kristine 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 Kristine
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Kristine — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Kristine
What does the name Kristine mean?
A follower of Christ, from the Latin Christiana.
Is it Kristine or Christine?
Kristine is the Scandinavian and German spelling; Christine is the English.
How many spellings are there?
Our gap band alone has produced Kristin, Kristen, Kristina and Kristine.
How popular is Kristine?
3241st in the United States, the only market where it charts.
Is Kristine a girl's or a boy's name?
Kristine is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Kristine?
Kristine has 2 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Kristine?
Kristine is usually shortened to Kris and Tina.
Is Kristine a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Kristine currently ranks #3,241 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.