Kersten
A feminine name of Germanic origin meaning "cherry stone" or "kernel".
Name Census estimates that about 869 living Americans carry the first name Kersten. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kersten today is around 36 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kersten births was 1997 (46 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kersten. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
869
~ 1 in 394,424 Americans
Peak year
1997
46 babies that year
Average age
36
years old
2015 SSA rank
#17,848
Tracked since 1963
Census
Kersten in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 945 people with the first name Kersten, which placed it at #12,946 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#12,946
National first-name rank
People counted
945
945 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.3
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
81.1% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kersten
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Kersten is White at 81.1%. The next largest groups are Black (8.5%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Kersten described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Kersten at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.1% · 766
- Black or African American8.5% · 80
- Two or more races4.6% · 43
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 38
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 5
Popularity
Kersten: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kersten from the 1960s through to the 2010s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 379 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kersten by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Kersten during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kerstens live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. Missouri, California, Illinois recorded the most babies named Kersten, while Texas, Illinois, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 10 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kersten
The name Kersten is of German origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old High German word "Kerste," which means "Christian" or "believer." The name was initially used as a surname, particularly in areas of present-day Germany and the Netherlands.
During the Middle Ages, the name Kersten became associated with individuals who embraced Christianity or were deeply religious. It was commonly given to children as a way of expressing their parents' devotion to their faith. The name's popularity spread across various regions of Europe, particularly in areas influenced by Germanic cultures.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kersten can be found in the chronicles of the Benedictine monastery of St. Gallen in Switzerland, dating back to the 9th century. Here, a monk named Kersten is mentioned as a scribe who transcribed several religious texts.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Kersten. One of the most famous was Kersten Miles (1150-1208), a German noblemen and knight who played a significant role in the Crusades. He was known for his bravery and unwavering faith, earning him the nickname "The Lion of Christ."
Another prominent figure was Kersten von Praun (1480-1542), a German Protestant theologian and reformer. He was a close associate of Martin Luther and contributed to the spread of the Protestant Reformation in Germany.
In the 17th century, Kersten Petersen (1623-1692) was a Danish astronomer and mathematician. He is renowned for his work on the motion of comets and his contributions to the development of telescopes.
The name Kersten also found its way into the world of literature. Kersten Gier (1858-1923) was a German novelist and playwright whose works explored themes of love, family, and social issues in early 20th century Germany.
Another notable figure was Kersten Lund (1901-1972), a Norwegian figure skater who won numerous championships and represented Norway at the Winter Olympics in 1924 and 1928.
While the name Kersten has its roots in Germanic cultures, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through migration and cultural exchange. Its enduring popularity can be attributed to its rich historical significance and association with religious devotion and faith.
People
Kersten + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kersten as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Kersten: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kersten?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 869 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kersten going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 394,424 US residents.
Is Kersten a common name?
We classify Kersten as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 918 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kersten most popular?
The single biggest year for Kersten was 1997, when 46 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kersten is about 36 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Kersten in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 945 people with the name Kersten, or 0.31 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #12,946 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Kersten in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Kersten?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Kersten leans strongly female. 874 people counted with this name were female (93.3%), compared with 63 male bearers (6.7%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Kersten?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Kersten is White at 81.1%. The next largest groups are Black (8.5%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Kersten most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Kersten in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.1% (766 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Kersten in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kersten a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kersten in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Kersten still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kersten in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Kersten can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How common is the name Kersten?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.