Total births
73,715
Girls' name · since 1937
Krista
Since 1937, U.S. Social Security records show 73,715 babies named Krista, peaking in 1986. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #4585
- among girls today
- 73,715
- born since 1937
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 74%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Krista is the #4585 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 73,715 recorded since 1937.
Krista has 73,715 recorded births among girls since 1937, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #4585 as of the latest data, more common than 74% of girls, busiest in the 1980s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1937 to 2025.
- #4585 among girls today
- 73,715 born since 1937
- 1980s peak decade
- 74% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Krista is currently the #4585 girls' name in America, more common than 74% of girls - 73,715 born since 1937, peaking in the 1980s.
- #4585
- among girls today
- 73,715
- born since 1937
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 74%
- more common than other girls
Krista vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#4585
of 17,726 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.
How Krista compares
73,715 Top 3% higher than 97% 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
Krista's all-time total is 193x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Krista | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 73,715 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 3,054 | 48 | 19,840 |
Krista's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Krista's SSA record in two at 1984 and the more recent half accounts for 49% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 51%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1944, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1986 peak of 3,054, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Krista at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1986
Current rank
#4,585
Active since
1937
Krista popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1937–2025
- Peak year (1986)
- 3,054
- Annual births at peak, across 89 years of records
Krista popularity over time - boys
148 total births recorded since 1970 (Krista as boys' name)
Krista by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Krista's strongest decade.
22,864 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.
Krista births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1930s 6
1930s
6 births
- 1940s 187
1940s
187 births
- 1950s 2,043
1950s
2,043 births
- 1960s 7,076
1960s
7,076 births
- 1970s
1970s
19,807 births
- 1980s
1980s
22,864 births
- 1990s
1990s
15,213 births
- 2000s 4,931
2000s
4,931 births
- 2010s 1,304
2010s
1,304 births
- 2020s 284
2020s
284 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 22,864 births (31% of all-time use).
How Krista 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 Krista's total volume
Krista vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Krista by state
Where Krista concentrates geographically, total births since 1937
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 7,118 | 9.7% |
| #2 | Ohio | | 4,827 | 6.5% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 4,617 | 6.3% |
| #4 | New York | | 4,277 | 5.8% |
| #5 | Texas | | 4,205 | 5.7% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 3,245 | 4.4% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 3,145 | 4.3% |
| #8 | Indiana | | 2,560 | 3.5% |
California share of Krista's total US births 9.7%
Even split
7,118 of 73,715 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? ▼
Krista has been given to 73,715 babies in the U.S. since 1937, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #4585 as of the latest data. 3,054 babies were born in 1986, its single highest year.
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 (4,827 births), Pennsylvania (4,617 births).
How long has the name Krista been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Krista since 1937 -- 89 years through the most recent 2025 data.
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.
What to do with Krista's data
- Krista's decade-level peak was the 1980s (22,864 total births); usage has since declined to 284 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Kristas (7,118 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 Krista
Nearby Names Like Krista
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Krista
Kristen Girl
#1281 218,767 births
Kristin Girl
#4486 179,313 births
Kristina Girl
#1736 136,765 births
Kristine Girl
#3831 84,329 births
Kristi Girl
#12298 76,484 births
Compare Krista side by side: Krista vs Kristen Krista vs Kristin Krista vs Kristina
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Krista
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, 1937–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Krista: #4585 Girls' Name - 73,715 Births, Peak 1986." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/krista. 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 Krista 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.