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
Above the archive median
All-time archive position

Kerstin's 2,537 recorded births place it above 94.45% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.

20 jurisdictions
State-record footprint

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

Last recorded 2021
Peak year (1998)
97
Annual births at peak, across 72 years of records
050100150 195019611970197919881997200620152021 5

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

births

What this shows Peak: 1990s at 783 births (31% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

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 vs 15 similarly-sized girls names Scatter plot of 16 data points. 0%5%10%15%20%25% 050100150200 New & already peakedOld name, single-era peakNew & still diversifyingLong history, steady all along Years in SSA records % of total births in the single peak year -35, 4.8%-22, 22.8%-32, 7.6%-72, 3.9%-52, 4.1%-136, 2%-47, 4.8%-89, 2.6%-32, 8.2%-36, 10.5%-43, 5.4%-43, 5.9%-31, 11.9%-145, 1.9%-26, 11.6%Kerstin-72, 3.8%Kerstin
Kerstin vs 15 similarly-sized girls names

Kerstin by state

Where Kerstin concentrates geographically, total births since 1950

Geographically diffuse
Top 8 states by recorded births for the name Kerstin
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%
California share of Kerstin's total US births 6.8%
Even split

172 of 2,537 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 20 reporting states.

Kerstin appears in 20 states. Explore state details →

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Kerstin?
Since 1950, Social Security records show 2,537 babies named Kerstin. Across the full SSA archive it ranks #4,009 of 72,339 girls' names by total births. The most recent recorded year was 2021. Its busiest year on record was 1998, with 97 births.
Where does Kerstin sit in the SSA name archive?
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kerstin ranks #4,009 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Kerstin most popular?
Kerstin was most popular in the 1990s decade with 783 total births. The single peak year was 1998.
Where is Kerstin most popular?
The top states for the name Kerstin are California (172 births), Texas (76 births), Pennsylvania (63 births).
How long has the name Kerstin been used?
Kerstin has been recorded in Social Security data since 1950, spanning 72 years of data through 2021.
What names are similar to Kerstin?
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kerry, Kerri, Keri, Kerrie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.

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

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.

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.