Declining since 2000, #5,722 for girls today.
Popularity of Kallista since 1985
Babies named Kallista per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1980s | 24 |
| 1990s | 162 |
| 2000s | 413 |
| 2010s | 212 |
| 2020s | 85 |
Meaning & origin
Kallista is a modern name that first appeared on U.S. records in 1985. Its spelling, with a 'K' and double 'l', distinguishes it from the more traditional Calista. The name reached its peak popularity in 2001, and has since been falling in use, dropping to a rank of 5722 by 2025, where it was given to roughly 1 in every 76,537 girls. Its trajectory has been declining steadily since the year 2000, and it has not been concentrated in any particular state. The similarity to the Greek word for 'most beautiful' gives the name a poetic appeal, though its direct link to classical origins is indirect. Kallista fits well with other ornate, multi-syllabic names favored in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Kallista is a modern coinage, likely derived from the Greek name Calista (or Kallista), which comes from the Greek 'kallistos', meaning 'most beautiful'. It entered the U.S. naming landscape in the mid-1980s, gaining modest but consistent use through the 1990s and early 2000s before declining in popularity.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Kallie, Kali, Lissy, Lissa, Sta
Sibling names for Kallista
Names that share Kallista's style, for a brother or sister.
