US rank #4570 Girls' name Peak 1986 73,675 births

Krista — #4570 US girls' name

73,675 babies named Krista in U.S. Social Security records since 1937, with the highest year being 1986. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.

1930s61940s1871950s20421960s70761970s198091980s228641990s152132000s49312010s13042020s243
#4570
of 17,661 girls in use

More common than 74% of names given to girls today.

1980s
Peak decade

31% of everyone ever named Krista was born in this single decade.

1986
Single peak year

3,054 babies were named Krista in 1986 — its busiest year on record.

What the Data Says About Krista

The Social Security Administration has registered 73,675 babies named Krista between 1937 and 2024, spanning 88 consecutive years of U.S. birth records. As a girl's name, Krista currently holds the #4570 rank among girls for 2024. The name reached its historical peak in 1986, when 3,054 babies received it in a single year.

Decade-level aggregation shows that Krista performed strongest in the 1980s, accumulating 22,864 births during that ten-year window. Across the 10 decades of recorded activity, Krista shows a clear decline from its mid-century high. Geographically, the name is most concentrated in California, which accounts for 7,118 births — the largest state-level total in the dataset — followed by Ohio and Pennsylvania. In total, SSA state-level files list Krista in 51 of the 51 U.S. reporting jurisdictions.

No etymological entry is currently available for Krista in our reference dataset. These figures derive from SSA's annual national and state-level name files, which include any name appearing at least five times in a given year or state-year; names below that threshold are suppressed for privacy and therefore excluded from the totals shown here. The 73,675 total represents a lower bound — actual usage may be higher in years or states where the count fell below the disclosure floor. This page is provided for informational and research purposes only and does not constitute personal, legal, or naming advice.

Krista at a glance

Outside the top 1,000

Total births

73,675

Since 1937

88 years of records

Peak year

1986

3,054 births that year

Strongest decade: 1980s

Current rank

#4,570

Among girls

As of 2024

Active since

1937

Recorded for 88 years

Last year on file: 2024

Krista popularity over time — girls

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 2024–1937

Outside the top 1,000
Peak year (1986)
3,054
Annual births at peak — across 88 years of records
-1,00001,0002,0003,0004,000 202420132002199119801969195819471937 6

Krista popularity over time — boys

148 total births recorded since 1970 (Krista as boys' name)

Unisex variant — 148 births
468101214 19921987198419801977197419711970 7

Krista by decade

Total births in each ten-year window — peak vs trough at a glance

Peak: 1980s
Peak decade
1980s
22,864 births that decade — 31% of Krista's all-time total
1930s61940s1871950s20421960s70761970s198091980s228641990s152132000s49312010s13042020s243

Krista by state

Where Krista concentrates geographically — total births since 1937

Geographically diffuse
Top 8 states by recorded births for the name Krista
Rank State Visual share Births Share of total
#1 California
7,118 9.7%
#2 Ohio
4,822 6.5%
#3 Pennsylvania
4,608 6.3%
#4 New York
4,277 5.8%
#5 Texas
4,206 5.7%
#6 Illinois
3,245 4.4%
#7 Michigan
3,145 4.3%
#8 Indiana
2,555 3.5%
California share of Krista's total US births 9.7%
Even split

7,118 of 73,675 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.

Krista appears in 51 states. Explore state details →

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Krista?
73,675 babies have been named Krista since 1937. It currently ranks #4570 among girls. The peak year was 1986 with 3,054 births.
When was Krista most popular?
Krista was most popular in the 1980s decade with 22,864 total births. The single peak year was 1986.
Where is Krista most popular?
The top states for the name Krista are California (7,118 births), Ohio (4,822 births), Pennsylvania (4,608 births).
How long has the name Krista been used?
Krista has been recorded in Social Security data since 1937, spanning 88 years of data through 2024.
What names are similar to Krista?
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kristen, Kristin, Kristina, Kristine, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.

Keep exploring Krista

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Data Sources

Data as of 2024. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).

Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications — National Data, 1937–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames). National-level data includes all names with 5 or more occurrences in a given year.

State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names — State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip). Includes all names with 5 or more occurrences per state per year; rarer names are excluded for privacy.