Given name & surname
Krister
“an anointed Christian”
Krister is a variant of Kristian. One Scandinavian interpretation is “an anointed Christian.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Krister is a variant of Kristian. One Scandinavian interpretation is “an anointed Christian.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Krister is a variant of Kristian. An origin associated with Kristian is Scandinavian.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1965. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In Swedish use, Krister is a variant of Christer. The history of Christer gives this family its wider story. Christer was in use during the 15th century.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Krister through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 52
- 36 boys · 16 girls
- Most popular year
- 1981
- 6 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 6 in 2000. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 179 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.
Krister’s family of names
Krister has a related form in Kristian. In Swedish usage, Krister has a related form in Christer.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Krister
- Krister KristenssonSwedish footballer and manager (1942–2023)
- Krister HenrikssonSwedish actorborn 1946
- Krister HagenNorwegian cyclistborn 1989
- Krister StendahlSwedish theologian and New Testament scholar (1921-2008)
- Krister NordinSwedish footballerborn 1968
- Krister SørgårdNorwegian cross-country skierborn 1970
- Krister WickmanSwedish economist, politician and civil servant (1924-1993)
- Krister Klasson Horn af ÅminneSwedish field marshal (1622-1692)
- Krister ÖrnfjäderSwedish politicianborn 1952
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Krister, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Dusty
“a brave fighter; from a dusty place”
71% boys · 29% girls
Kirby
“from the church town” · “from the village with the church”
48% boys · 52% girls
Anand
“joy, delight, pleasure”
90% boys · 10% girls
Torrey
“victorious woman; winner; conqueror”
67% boys · 33% girls
Reggie
“the king's advisor” · “queen”
87% boys · 13% girls
Minh
“a clever man”
92% boys · 8% girls
Jamey
“she who supplants” · “he who supplants”
71% boys · 29% girls
Tory
“victorious woman; winner; conqueror” · “one who pays homage to Ireland”
58% boys · 42% girls