Calista: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#1,597

among girls · ↓144 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

131

named Calista · -13% vs 2024

How common

1 in 12,269

girls born in 2025

Peak year

1999

490 babies

All-time total

7,504

#1,979 all-time among girls

First recorded

1894

in Social Security records

Calista popularity over time

7,504 babies have been named Calista since 1894, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure

Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade	Girls	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	–	–	–	–
1890s	31	3	–	#1,252
1900s	28	3	-10%	#1,685
1910s	128	13	+357%	#1,679
1920s	113	11	-12%	#2,173
1930s	83	8	-27%	#2,399
1940s	85	9	+2%	#2,335
1950s	88	9	+4%	#2,828
1960s	111	11	+26%	#3,277
1970s	220	22	+98%	#2,673
1980s	310	31	+41%	#2,702
1990s	1,056	106	+241%	#519
2000s	2,733	273	+159%	#627
2010s	1,764	176	-35%	#1,057
2020s (to 2025)	754	126	-29%	#1,453

Where Calista is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 girls	Implied rank
2026	132	0.08	outside top 500
2027	133	0.08	outside top 500
2028	133	0.08	outside top 500
2029	134	0.08	outside top 500
2030	134	0.08	outside top 500

Where Calista is most popular

Girls named Calista per 1,000 girls born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.081 per 1,000. Strongest in New Mexico, Arizona, and California.

Vs national average

well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are girls named Calista born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State	Girls 2021–2025	Per 1,000	vs national
New Mexico	5	0.206	+155%
Arizona	21	0.150	+85%
California	125	0.149	+84%
Ohio	25	0.105	+31%
Florida	36	0.084	≈ national
Washington	12	0.083	≈ national
Pennsylvania	19	0.080	≈ national
Texas	64	0.080	≈ national
Illinois	17	0.074	-8%
New York	25	0.063	-22%
Maryland	5	0.047	-42%
North Carolina	10	0.044	-46%
Missouri	5	0.041	-49%
Virginia	5	0.029	-64%
Georgia	6	0.026	-67%
Alaska	–	–	–
Alabama	–	–	–
Arkansas	–	–	–
Colorado	–	–	–
Connecticut	–	–	–
District of Columbia	–	–	–
Delaware	–	–	–
Hawaii	–	–	–
Iowa	–	–	–
Idaho	–	–	–
Indiana	–	–	–
Kansas	–	–	–
Kentucky	–	–	–
Louisiana	–	–	–
Massachusetts	–	–	–
Maine	–	–	–
Michigan	–	–	–
Minnesota	–	–	–
Mississippi	–	–	–
Montana	–	–	–
North Dakota	–	–	–
Nebraska	–	–	–
New Hampshire	–	–	–
New Jersey	–	–	–
Nevada	–	–	–
Oklahoma	–	–	–
Oregon	–	–	–
Rhode Island	–	–	–
South Carolina	–	–	–
South Dakota	–	–	–
Tennessee	–	–	–
Utah	–	–	–
Vermont	–	–	–
Wisconsin	–	–	–
West Virginia	–	–	–
Wyoming	–	–	–

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Calista

Calista is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #1,597 in 2025 with 131 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1894, 7,504 American babies have been named Calista. Its peak came in 1999, when 490 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1990s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Calista stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Calista?

The median living Calista is about 20 years old; half are between 12 and 26. An estimated 7,000 people named Calista are alive in the United States today.

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Calista year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year	Girls	Girls rank
2025	131	#1,597
2024	151	#1,453
2023	120	#1,712
2022	114	#1,795
2021	139	#1,517
2020	99	#1,927
2019	164	#1,374
2018	130	#1,634
2017	149	#1,489
2016	183	#1,307
2015	172	#1,372
2014	155	#1,455
2013	170	#1,371
2012	196	#1,238
2011	210	#1,164
2010	235	#1,057
2009	191	#1,273
2008	207	#1,223
2007	264	#1,002
2006	231	#1,093
2005	223	#1,068
2004	282	#870
2003	271	#889
2002	305	#775
2001	358	#697
2000	401	#627
1995	23	#4,366
1990	39	#2,911
1985	30	#3,018
1980	34	#2,702
1975	18	#3,650
1970	14	#4,059
1965	15	#3,277
1960	9	#4,483
1955	9	#4,103
1950	8	#3,997
1945	8	#3,425
1940	11	#2,588
1935	6	#3,806
1930	13	#2,439
1925	6	#4,510
1920	14	#2,482
1915	17	#1,893
1910	8	#1,793
1905	–	–
1900	5	#1,969
1895	7	#1,319
1890	–	–
1885	–	–
1880	–	–

Famous people named Calista

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

1 Calista Flockhart American actress (born 1964) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Calista, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Calista?

The median living Calista is about 20 years old. Half of all living Calistas are between 12 and 26 years old.

How many people named Calista are alive today?

An estimated 7,000 people named Calista are alive in the United States, based on 7,504 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Calista mean?

From Latin Callistus, from Ancient Greek Κάλλιστος (Kállistos, “most beautiful”), from καλός (kalós, “beautiful”).

How popular is the name Calista in 2025?

Calista ranked #1,597 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 131 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Calista?

7,504 babies have been named Calista in the United States since 1894, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Calista most popular?

Calista peaked in 1999, when 490 newborns received the name.

Is Calista a boy or girl name?

Calista is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Calista rising or falling?

Calista has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Calista become more popular?

Calista looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 134 girls named Calista in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Calista?

Well-known people named Calista include Calista Flockhart (actor).

Names like Calista

Names that sound and feel close to Calista: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Calista with similar names → More names starting with C →