Given name · also Italian
Callista
“a moon of Jupiter”
Callista is a feminine given name from Italian, ultimately from Ancient Greek. It is used in Indonesian.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Callista goes back to a word meaning “a moon of Jupiter.”
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Where it comes from
Callista comes from Italian, and ultimately from Ancient Greek.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
How it developed
From Italian Callista, from Ancient Greek καλλίστη, from Ancient Greek Καλλιστώ.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1914. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Callista is a variant of Callisto. The history of Callisto gives this family its wider story. Callisto’s historical associations include several early saints, including a 3rd-century pope and a 6th-century bishop of Todi in central Italy.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Callista through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,485
- 0 boys · 2,485 girls
- Most popular year
- 1999
- 137 babies
- 2025
- 42
- #3,585 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −21%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 42 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 3,585 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 21.3% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 137 in 1999. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (6). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,121 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Callista’s family of names
In Indonesian usage, Callista has a related form in Calista. Callista has a related form in Callisto. In Indonesian usage, Callista has a related form in Callysta.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 4
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Callista
- Callista GingrichU.S. diplomatborn 1966
- Callista ChimomboFirst Lady of the Republic of Malawiborn 1959
- Callista RoyAmerican nurse and professorborn 1939
- Callista ClarkAmerican country singer originating from Zebulon, Georgiaborn 2003
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Callista, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Lupita
“from the valley of wolves” · “from the river of the wolf”
>99% girls
Cassandra
“an unheeded prophetess”
>99% girls
Oceana
Oceana is used as a feminine counterpart of Oceanus.
>99% girls
Thalia
“flourish, to be verdant”
>99% girls
Guadalupe
“from the valley of wolves” · “from the river of the wolf”
13% boys · 87% girls
Estrella
“star of the sea” · “resembling a star”
>99% girls
Luz
“refers to the Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Light” · “of the moon”
1% boys · 99% girls
Delaney
“the dark challenger” · “from the elder-tree grove”
1% boys · 99% girls