The first name Kristen
A girl’s name from Greek.
2 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Greek origin
A spelling variant of Kristin, from Christina, fairly popular in the latter half of the twentieth century.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
Kristen last appeared in the official list in 2024, given to 3 girls. It peaked in 1996, with 40 births (#608).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Kristen with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Kristen at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 96 girls born in the United States were named Kristen, the 1,999th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1982, when 9,534 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Famous people named Kristen
51 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Kristen StewartAmerican actress (born 1990)
- Kristen BellAmerican actress, born 1980
- Kristen WiigAmerican actress and comedian (born 1973)
- Kristen MichalEstonian politician (born 1975)
- Kristen SchaalAmerican actress, born 1978
- Kristen NygaardComputer scientist, Mathematician (1926-2002)
- Kristen ConnollyAmerican film actress, born 1980
- Kristen JohnstonAmerican actress (born 1967)
- Kristen DaltonAmerican model, born 1986
- Kristen PfaffAmerican musician and singer, 1967–1994
- Kristen Anderson-LopezAmerican songwriter, born 1972
- Kristen WelkerAmerican television journalist (born 1976)
More Greek girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Kristen mean?
- A spelling variant of Kristin, from Christina, fairly popular in the latter half of the twentieth century.
- What is the origin of the name Kristen?
- A spelling variant of Kristin, from Christina, fairly popular in the latter half of the twentieth century.
- How popular is the name Kristen?
- In 2024, 3 girls born in England and Wales were named Kristen, ranking 5,891st. Its peak was 1996, with 40 births.
- Is Kristen a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 99% of the 220,952 US babies named Kristen since 1880 were girls.
- When was Kristen most popular?
- 1982 in the United States, when 9,534 babies were named Kristen, its highest rank at 33rd.