Girls' name · since 1952
Kristel
Kristel has 2,992 recorded births since 1952 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1982 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #3,608 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #4,289 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 2,992
- born since 1952
- 1980s
- peak decade
Kristel currently ranks #4289 among girls' names in America, with 2,992 babies recorded since 1952.
Social Security Administration records show Kristel recorded 2,992 times among girls since 1952, holding rank #4289 nationally today, ahead of 75% of girls, peaking in the 1980s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1952 to 2025.
- #3,608 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #4,289 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 2,992 born since 1952
- 1980s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kristel ranks #3,608 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #4,289 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 2,992 born since 1952, peaking in the 1980s.
- #3,608 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #4,289 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 2,992
- born since 1952
- 1980s
- peak decade
Kristel's 2,992 recorded births place it above 95.01% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
22 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Kristel compares
2,992 Top 18% higher than 82% of 17,297 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
Kristel's all-time total is 8x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kristel | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,992 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 145 | 21 | 19,840 |
Kristel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Kristel's SSA record in two at 1990 and the more recent half accounts for 39% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 61%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1952, with only 6 births recorded -- set against the 1982 peak of 145, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Kristel popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1952–2025
- Peak year (1982)
- 145
- Annual births at peak, across 74 years of records
Kristel by decade
1980s is the heaviest window (896 births, 30% of the file).
1980s was Kristel's strongest decade.
896 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 30% of all-time use.
Kristel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 54
1950s
54 births
- 1960s 219
1960s
219 births
- 1970s
1970s
670 births
- 1980s
1980s
896 births
- 1990s 287
1990s
287 births
- 2000s 191
2000s
191 births
- 2010s
2010s
418 births
- 2020s 257
2020s
257 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 896 births (30% of all-time use).
How Kristel 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 Kristel's total volume
Kristel by state
Where Kristel concentrates geographically, total births since 1952
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 321 | 10.7% |
| #2 | Texas | | 270 | 9.0% |
| #3 | New York | | 91 | 3.0% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 34 | 1.1% |
| #5 | Florida | | 27 | 0.9% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 26 | 0.9% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 24 | 0.8% |
| #8 | Virginia | | 18 | 0.6% |
321 of 2,992 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 22 reporting states.
Kristel appears in 22 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kristel? ▼
Where does Kristel sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Kristel most popular? ▼
Where is Kristel most popular? ▼
How long has the name Kristel been used? ▼
What names are similar to Kristel? ▼
What to do with Kristel's data
- Kristel's decade-level peak was the 1980s (896 total births); usage has since declined to 257 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Kristels (321 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 Kristel
Nearby Names Like Kristel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kristel
Compare Kristel side by side: Kristel vs Kristen Kristel vs Kristin Kristel vs Kristina
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kristel
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Kristel: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1982)
Similar record span (~73 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, 1952–2025 (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 Kristel 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.