Kirsten
Girl name · #2831 in 2025 · Uniqueness 77/100
Kirsten is currently the #2831 girl name in the United States — 60 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #1711, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 30,000 girls born in 2025 was named Kirsten.
The 88-year story
Kirsten first appears in the Social Security records in 1937, when 10 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1991, when 1,931 girls were named Kirsten — good for #154 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Kirsten per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Kirsten against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Kirsten in class?
Kirsten scores 77 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. A high score means genuine rarity — your Kirsten will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Kirsten is most common
State-level data for Kirsten is sparse in 2025 — the name's footprint is too small for most states to report (the SSA suppresses counts under 5 per state for privacy).
Names like Kirsten
Statistically, parents drawn to Kirsten tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Kristen, Katheryn, Kiersten, Loren, and Karissa.
KristenKatherynKierstenLorenKarissaKaitlinJacklynKaylene
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Kirsten | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 60 | #2822 |
| 2024 | 51 | #3119 |
| 2023 | 36 | #4047 |
| 2022 | 63 | #2720 |
| 2021 | 57 | #2929 |
| 2020 | 70 | #2468 |
| 2019 | 60 | #2784 |
| 2018 | 89 | #2130 |
| 2017 | 107 | #1889 |
| 2016 | 150 | #1512 |
| 2015 | 123 | #1711 |
| 2014 | 184 | #1291 |
| 2013 | 212 | #1135 |
| 2012 | 256 | #985 |
| 2011 | 309 | #852 |
| 2010 | 319 | #840 |
| 2009 | 454 | #652 |
| 2008 | 543 | #567 |
| 2007 | 726 | #444 |
| 2006 | 783 | #407 |
| 2005 | 1,003 | #321 |
| 2004 | 1,089 | #298 |
| 2003 | 1,116 | #280 |
| 2002 | 1,126 | #277 |
| 2001 | 1,224 | #260 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Kirsten a popular girl name?
Kirsten ranked #2831 among girls in 2025 with 60 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1711.
When was the name Kirsten most popular?
Kirsten peaked in 1991, when 1,931 American girls received the name (ranked #154 that year). Since 1991 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Kirsten?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 30,000 newborn American girls was named Kirsten. It scores 77/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.