Girls' name · since 1950
Kerstin
Since 1950, U.S. Social Security records show 2,537 babies named Kerstin, peaking in 1998. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #4,009 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 2,537
- born since 1950
- 1990s
- peak decade
Kerstin is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 2,537 have been recorded since 1950.
Kerstin has 2,537 recorded births among girls since 1950, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1990s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1950 to 2021.
- #4,009 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 2,537 born since 1950
- 1990s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kerstin ranks #4,009 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 2,537 born since 1950, peaking in the 1990s.
- #4,009 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 2,537
- born since 1950
- 1990s
- peak decade
Kerstin's 2,537 recorded births place it above 94.45% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
20 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
Kerstin's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Kerstin's full recorded timeline at 1986, 62% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 38% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1953, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1998 peak of 97 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Kerstin popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1950–2021
- Peak year (1998)
- 97
- Annual births at peak, across 72 years of records
No longer in the modern top-1000, last recorded 2021.
2,537 total births across 72 years of SSA records. Peaked in 1998 with 97 births in a single year.
Kerstin by decade
1990s is the heaviest window (783 births, 31% of the file).
1990s was Kerstin's strongest decade.
783 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.
Kerstin births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 64
1950s
64 births
- 1960s
1960s
315 births
- 1970s
1970s
339 births
- 1980s
1980s
445 births
- 1990s
1990s
783 births
- 2000s
2000s
489 births
- 2010s 97
2010s
97 births
- 2020s 5
2020s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 783 births (31% of all-time use).
Kerstin decade highlights
- Peak decade 783 births
- Runner-up 489 births
- Modern era share 2010s + 2020s
- Decades tracked with recorded births
How Kerstin 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 Kerstin's total volume
Kerstin by state
Where Kerstin concentrates geographically, total births since 1950
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 172 | 6.8% |
| #2 | Texas | | 76 | 3.0% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 63 | 2.5% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 57 | 2.2% |
| #5 | New York | | 40 | 1.6% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 39 | 1.5% |
| #7 | Florida | | 34 | 1.3% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 31 | 1.2% |
172 of 2,537 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 20 reporting states.
Top 5 states
- California 6.8% of nationwide
- Texas 3.0% of nationwide
- Pennsylvania 2.5% of nationwide
- Ohio 2.2% of nationwide
- New York 1.6% of nationwide
Recorded in 20 of 51 SSA jurisdictions
California accounts for 6.8% of all recorded births nationwide - a relatively diffuse profile for this name.
Kerstin appears in 20 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kerstin? ▼
Where does Kerstin sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Kerstin most popular? ▼
Where is Kerstin most popular? ▼
How long has the name Kerstin been used? ▼
What names are similar to Kerstin? ▼
What to do with Kerstin's data
- Kerstin's decade-level peak was the 1990s (783 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Kerstins (172 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Kerstin
Nearby Names Like Kerstin
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kerstin
Compare Kerstin side by side: Kerstin vs Kerry Kerstin vs Kerri Kerstin vs Keri
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Kerstin: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1998)
Similar record span (~71 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1950–2021 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Kerstin 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 August 2026.
Published by
NameAlmanac
Independent public-data reference that compiles, verifies, and contextualizes official datasets. We do not accept compensation from entities we cover, and every dataset cites its originating public source.