Total births
3,712
Girls' name · since 1912
Christel
Since 1912, U.S. Social Security records show 3,712 babies named Christel, peaking in 1978. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #8474
- among girls today
- 3,712
- born since 1912
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 52%
- more common than other girls
Christel currently ranks #8474 among girls' names in America, with 3,712 babies recorded since 1912.
Christel has 3,712 recorded births among girls since 1912, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #8474 as of the latest data, more common than 52% of girls, busiest in the 1970s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1912 to 2024.
- #8474 among girls today
- 3,712 born since 1912
- 1970s peak decade
- 52% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Christel is currently the #8474 girls' name in America, more common than 52% of girls - 3,712 born since 1912, peaking in the 1970s.
- #8474
- among girls today
- 3,712
- born since 1912
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 52%
- more common than other girls
Christel vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#8474
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 52% of names given to girls today.
1970s
Peak decade
42% of everyone ever named Christel was born in this single decade.
1978
Single peak year
202 babies were named Christel in 1978 - its busiest year on record.
How Christel compares
3,712 Top 16% higher than 84% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Christel's all-time total is 10x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Christel | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,712 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 202 | 48 | 19,840 |
Christel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Christel's full recorded timeline at 1972, 64% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 36% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1912, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1978 peak of 202 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Christel at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1978
Current rank
#8,474
Active since
1912
Christel popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1912–2024
- Peak year (1978)
- 202
- Annual births at peak, across 113 years of records
Christel by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was Christel's strongest decade.
1,542 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 42% of all-time use.
Christel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 26
1910s
26 births
- 1920s 38
1920s
38 births
- 1930s 75
1930s
75 births
- 1940s 88
1940s
88 births
- 1950s 285
1950s
285 births
- 1960s 539
1960s
539 births
- 1970s
1970s
1,542 births
- 1980s 585
1980s
585 births
- 1990s 227
1990s
227 births
- 2000s 162
2000s
162 births
- 2010s 101
2010s
101 births
- 2020s 44
2020s
44 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 1,542 births (42% of all-time use).
How Christel compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Christel's total volume
Christel vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Christel by state
Where Christel concentrates geographically, total births since 1912
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 255 | 6.9% |
| #2 | Texas | | 156 | 4.2% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 143 | 3.9% |
| #4 | New York | | 136 | 3.7% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 100 | 2.7% |
| #6 | North Carolina | | 90 | 2.4% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 79 | 2.1% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 69 | 1.9% |
California share of Christel's total US births 6.9%
Even split
255 of 3,712 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 27 reporting states.
Christel appears in 27 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Christel? ▼
Christel has been given to 3,712 babies in the U.S. since 1912, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #8474 as of the latest data. 202 babies were born in 1978, its single highest year.
When was Christel most popular? ▼
Christel was most popular in the 1970s decade with 1,542 total births. The single peak year was 1978.
Where is Christel most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Christel are California (255 births), Texas (156 births), Illinois (143 births).
How long has the name Christel been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Christel since 1912 -- 113 years through the most recent 2024 data.
What names are similar to Christel? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Christine, Christina, Christy, Christie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Christel's data
- Christel's decade-level peak was the 1970s (1,542 total births); usage has since declined to 44 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Christels (255 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Christel
Nearby Names Like Christel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Christel
Christine Girl
#1196 586,465 births
Christina Girl
#704 479,718 births
Christy Girl
#3464 98,576 births
Christie Girl
#4569 46,013 births
Christa Girl
#7287 32,843 births
Compare Christel side by side: Christel vs Christine Christel vs Christina Christel vs Christy
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Christel
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1912–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Christel: #8474 Girls' Name - 3,712 Births, Peak 1978." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/christel. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Christel draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.