Meaning & origin
Where it comes from
Kalista is a variant of Kallisto. An origin associated with Kallisto is Greek.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1976. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Kalista through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,419
- 0 boys · 2,419 girls
- Most popular year
- 1999
- 182 babies
- 2025
- 35
- #4,116 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −9%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 35 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 4,116 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 9.2% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 182 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 1,987 as a first name in 2020; 413 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Kalista’s family of names
Kalista has a related form in Kallisto.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
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.
Similar names
If you love Kalista, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Qadira
“powerful; capable” · “a capable man; one who is competent”
>99% girls
Carlissia
>99% girls
Kadaisha
>99% girls
Kalea
“the dark one; in Hinduism, a destructive force” · “one who provides comfort”
>99% girls
Kanea
>99% girls
Kassidy
“a curly-haired man”
3% boys · 97% girls
Catriona
“one who is pure; virginal”
>99% girls
Kamri
>99% girls