Kirsten is a girl name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Kirsten means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Kirsten across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Kirsten has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Kirsten is a girl name of Greek origin meaning “follower of Christ”. A Scandinavian form of Christine.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 53,393 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 2,234 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 2,845 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 219 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 391 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 1,183 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Kirsten per year, United States (1937 to 2025). United States peaked in 1991 (1,938/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (225/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1995 (126/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1998 (32/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2006 (25/yr).
Kirsten has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1991, when it ranked #320 nationally (given to 2,076 babies that year).
Kristin · Kristen · Christen · Kiersten · Kristyn · Kirstin · Kristan · Christene
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