girl's name
Kristy
KRIS-tee (English)
- Origin American
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 72,200
Kristy is the seventh spelling of this name family in this group, and the count itself is the finding — one Latin word has produced seven separate pages on this site through American respelling alone.
- Kristy is a name of American origin.
- Peaked in 1978, when 5,352 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 132,626 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1941.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Kristy Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1940s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1940s | 291 |
| 1950s | 3,230 |
| 1960s | 8,114 |
| 1970s | 27,862 |
| 1980s | 22,453 |
| 1990s | 6,136 |
| 2000s | 1,777 |
| 2010s | 679 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 161 |
What Kristy Means
Kristy 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 Kristy Comes From
Kristy shortens Christina or Kristine, from the Latin Christiana — a Christian, and behind that Christos, which translates the Hebrew mashiach, the anointed one. The -y and -i endings belong to the mid-century American fashion that also produced Vicki, Terri, Jodi and Toni. Between Kristin, Kristen, Kristina, Kristine, Kristi, Krista and Kristy, American naming split one word seven ways, each large enough to reach our gap band independently.
Kristy in Use
Kristy peaked in the United States in 1978, when 5,352 babies were registered, and is falling. It charts in exactly one market, at 5,178th in the United States on 25 births, across 72,200 lifetime births. It is the seventh spelling of this name to appear in the gap band, and every one of them is American-led despite the forms being Scandinavian and German.
How Popular Is Kristy?
In 2025, Kristy was given to 25 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Where Kristy 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 Kristy
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Kristy Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Kristy over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Kristy
- English KRIS-tee /ˈkɹɪs.ti/
Kristy 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.
- Icelandic
- Kristi
Sibling Names for Kristy
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Kristy — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Kristy
What does the name Kristy mean?
A follower of Christ, from the Latin Christiana.
How many spellings does this name have?
Seven have reached our gap band alone — Kristin, Kristen, Kristina, Kristine, Kristi, Krista and Kristy.
Why so many?
Mid-century American naming split the sound across -in, -en, -ina, -ine, -i, -a and -y endings.
How popular is Kristy?
5,178th in the United States, down from a 1978 peak of 5,352 births.
Is Kristy a girl's or a boy's name?
Kristy is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Kristy?
Kristy has 2 syllables.
Is Kristy a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Kristy currently ranks #5,178 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.