Kristen
Girl name · #1993 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Kristen? In official American birth records, Kristen has been tracked continuously since 1938, giving it 87 years of documented American history.
Kristen ranks #1993 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 96 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #889, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 18,750 girls born in 2025 was named Kristen.
The 87-year story
Kristen first appears in the Social Security records in 1938, when 7 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1982, when 9,534 girls were named Kristen — good for #33 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Kristen per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Kristen against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Kristen in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Kristen is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Kristen will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Kristen is most common
State-level data for Kristen is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Kristen
Statistically, parents drawn to Kristen tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Kirsten, Katrina, Kristin, Siobhan, and Kristina.
KirstenKatrinaKristinSiobhanKristinaKrystalMeghanJacklyn
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Kristen | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 96 | #1990 |
| 2024 | 181 | #1279 |
| 2023 | 143 | #1506 |
| 2022 | 119 | #1742 |
| 2021 | 134 | #1562 |
| 2020 | 137 | #1545 |
| 2019 | 174 | #1315 |
| 2018 | 190 | #1229 |
| 2017 | 221 | #1128 |
| 2016 | 253 | #1045 |
| 2015 | 310 | #889 |
| 2014 | 340 | #813 |
| 2013 | 389 | #713 |
| 2012 | 429 | #659 |
| 2011 | 430 | #660 |
| 2010 | 508 | #575 |
| 2009 | 566 | #533 |
| 2008 | 644 | #491 |
| 2007 | 768 | #428 |
| 2006 | 876 | #372 |
| 2005 | 984 | #326 |
| 2004 | 1,220 | #264 |
| 2003 | 1,437 | #229 |
| 2002 | 1,716 | #186 |
| 2001 | 1,991 | #162 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Kristen?
In official American birth records, the name Kristen first appeared in 1938 (over 87 years ago), when 7 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 87 years.
Is Kristen a popular girl name?
Kristen ranked #1993 among girls in 2025 with 96 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #889.
When was the name Kristen most popular?
Kristen peaked in 1982, when 9,534 American girls received the name (ranked #33 that year). Since 1982 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Kristen?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 18,750 newborn American girls was named Kristen. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.