Kristen
Girl name · #1993 in 2025 · Uniqueness 78/100
Kristen ranks #1993 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 96 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #889, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 18,750 girls born in 2025 was named Kristen.
The 87-year story
Kristen first appears in the Social Security records in 1938, when 7 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1982, when 9,534 girls were named Kristen — good for #33 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. 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 Kristen per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Kristen against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Kristen in class?
Kristen scores 78 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 Kristen will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Kristen is most common
Geography matters for names, and Kristen is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Kristens were TX (14), FL (9), CA (8), NJ (7), GA (6). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Kristen
Statistically, parents drawn to Kristen tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Kirsten, Katrina, Kristin, Siobhan, and Kristina.
KirstenKatrinaKristinSiobhanKristinaKrystalMeghanJacklyn
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Kristen | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 96 | #1990 |
| 2024 | 181 | #1279 |
| 2023 | 143 | #1506 |
| 2022 | 119 | #1742 |
| 2021 | 134 | #1562 |
| 2020 | 137 | #1545 |
| 2019 | 174 | #1315 |
| 2018 | 190 | #1229 |
| 2017 | 221 | #1128 |
| 2016 | 253 | #1045 |
| 2015 | 310 | #889 |
| 2014 | 340 | #813 |
| 2013 | 389 | #713 |
| 2012 | 429 | #659 |
| 2011 | 430 | #660 |
| 2010 | 508 | #575 |
| 2009 | 566 | #533 |
| 2008 | 644 | #491 |
| 2007 | 768 | #428 |
| 2006 | 876 | #372 |
| 2005 | 984 | #326 |
| 2004 | 1,220 | #264 |
| 2003 | 1,437 | #229 |
| 2002 | 1,716 | #186 |
| 2001 | 1,991 | #162 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Kristen a popular girl name?
Kristen ranked #1993 among girls in 2025 with 96 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #889.
When was the name Kristen most popular?
Kristen peaked in 1982, when 9,534 American girls received the name (ranked #33 that year). Since 1982 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Kristen?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 18,750 newborn American girls was named Kristen. It scores 78/100 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.