UK girl's name
Kirsti
A feminine name of Finnish origin meaning "follower of Christ".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2008. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Kirsti is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Kirsti popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2008 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5545, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 8 births.
This profile covers 24 England and Wales registrations across 5 recorded years from 1996 to 2008. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 38% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 114 living people in the UK are called Kirsti. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2009 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Kirsti ranked #5545 for girls in England and Wales in 2008, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1996, when 8 girls were registered as Kirsti.
- • Kirsti ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #387 in 1997.
- • About 114 living people in the UK are estimated to have Kirsti as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5545
2008
Births in 2008
3
Latest year
Peak year
1996
8 births
Estimated living
114
2026
Meaning
What does Kirsti mean?
Kirsti is a feminine given name with roots in the Old Norse language. It is derived from the name Kristin, which is a Scandinavian form of the Greek name Christina, meaning "a Christian" or "follower of Christ." The name gained popularity in the Nordic countries during the medieval period as Christianity spread throughout the region.
The earliest recorded use of the name Kirsti dates back to the 13th century in Iceland, where it was spelled as Kyrsti or Kyrstín. It was a common name among Norse women during this time, particularly in Iceland and Norway. The name's connection to Christianity likely contributed to its widespread adoption in these areas.
One of the earliest known historical figures with the name Kirsti was Kirsti Torfadóttir, an Icelandic noblewoman who lived in the 14th century. She was married to Þórir Jónsson, a prominent chieftain in Iceland. Another notable bearer of the name was Kirsti Fluga, a Norwegian woman who was accused of witchcraft in the 17th century and became the subject of a famous witch trial.
In the 19th century, the name Kirsti gained popularity in Finland, where it was often spelled as Kirstiina or Kristiina. One of the most famous Finnish women with this name was Kirsti Kurikka (1879-1944), a pioneering actress and theater director who played a significant role in the development of Finnish theater.
Another notable figure was Kirsti Sparre (1912-1995), a Swedish countess and journalist who worked as a war correspondent during World War II. She was renowned for her bravery and her commitment to reporting the truth, even in the face of danger.
In more recent history, Kirsti Skog (1940-2019) was a Norwegian politician who served as a member of the Storting, the Norwegian parliament, for over 20 years. She was a prominent figure in the Labour Party and played a significant role in shaping Norway's social and economic policies.
While the name Kirsti is not as common today as it once was, it remains a beloved name in Scandinavian and Nordic countries, carrying with it a rich cultural heritage and a connection to the region's Christian roots.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Kirsti over time
The chart below shows babies named Kirsti registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2008. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Kirsti, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2008, compared with 8 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kirsti by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Kirsti was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | #5545 | 3 | 1 |
| 1990s | #2849 | 21 | 4 |
Geography
Where Kirsti is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Kirsti. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Kirsti ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #387 in 1997.
Across the UK
Kirsti in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#387 in 1997
19 years of NRS records, 92 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Kirsti
-
Kirsti Bohata
writer; literary scholar; university teacher
Welsh literary scholar
Related
Names similar to Kirsti
- Katie 53,185
- Keira 14,411
- Katherine 11,323
- Kayleigh 10,677
- Kate 10,276
- Kelsey 7,224
- Kiera 7,218
- Kayla 6,541
- Kirsty 6,384
- Khadija 5,948
- Kimberley 5,189
- Kaitlyn 5,137
FAQ
Kirsti: questions and answers
How popular is the name Kirsti in the UK right now?
In 2008, Kirsti was ranked #5545 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Kirsti most popular?
The peak year on record was 1996, with 8 babies registered as Kirsti in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Kirsti?
A feminine name of Finnish origin meaning "follower of Christ".
How many people are called Kirsti in the UK?
A total of 24 babies have been registered as Kirsti across the 5 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 92 more in Scotland.
Where is Kirsti most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Kirsti ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #387 in 1997. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.