Christal

A girl's name of Greek origin with 9,697 recorded U.S. births.

Girl's name#11292 in 2024Declining

Meaning & Origin

Obsolete spelling of crystal.

Christal is a girl's baby name of Greek origin, a variant spelling of Crystal — from the Greek krystallos meaning 'clear ice' or 'transparent.' Crystal/Christal was enormously popular in the 1970s and 1980s as part of the gemstone and natural material naming trend.

With nearly 9,700 births in SSA records, Christal has a long American history — the Christ- spelling giving the gem name an additional devotional dimension that resonates in Christian families.

EtymologyShow more

The ending of a name often carries more etymological information than the beginning. Christal's final sounds are sharp, distinct — ending on a consonant gives it a firm, clear close. In English-language naming, many feminine names end on open vowels or soft consonants, creating a melodic, approachable quality. Christal breaks from that pattern, giving it a more distinctive edge.

Explore the ending-based name pages on this site to find names that share Christal's suffix pattern — names with similar endings often share a style and era, even when they come from different linguistic backgrounds.

At a Glance

9,697

Total births

Since 1913

1978

Peak

352 births

1913

First recorded

112 years of data

Compare Christal with another name

Popularity Over Time

Christal was #2048 twenty years ago and has since drifted to #11292, but its charm endures.

First appeared: 1913Peak: 1978 (352 births)Current: #11292

Popularity by Decade

Decade-by-decade popularity data for Christal
Decade	Births	Avg Rank	Trend
2020s	57	#9078	▼
2010s	321	#5053	▼
2000s	764	#2393	▼
1990s	1,334	#1321	▼
1980s	2,519	#738	▼
1970s	2,846	#597	▲
1960s	1,074	#1051	▲
1950s	644	#1300	▲
1940s	52	#3724	▲
1930s	14	#3721	▼
1920s	38	#4333	▲
1910s	34	#4001	—

The Story of Christal

A Gen X name

Peaking in 1978, Christal is a Gen X staple. Girls named Christal are most likely born between 1968 and 1988.

How rare is Christal?

Only about 1 in every 450,000 babies born in 2024 was named Christal — a truly uncommon choice.

The journey through the decades

First appeared in the records in 1913, gained momentum through the mid-century, peaked in the 1970s with 2,846 births that decade, and has since become a rare, vintage choice.

Christal by the numbers

Would fill 202 school buses
Meeting one Christal per day would take 26.6 years

Year-by-Year Data

View complete yearly data(95 years, 1913–2024)

Year-by-year popularity data for the name Christal
Year	Births	Rank	Change
2024	8	#11292	-3 (-27.3%)
2023	11	#9101	-4 (-26.7%)
2022	15	#7352	+3 (25.0%)
2021	12	#8579	+1 (9.1%)
2020	11	#9065	-2 (-15.4%)
2019	13	#8229	-1 (-7.1%)
2018	14	#7851	-9 (-39.1%)
2017	23	#5547	-2 (-8.0%)
2016	25	#5317	0
2015	25	#5327	-9 (-26.5%)
2014	34	#4289	-2 (-5.6%)
2013	36	#4088	-6 (-14.3%)
2012	42	#3728	-11 (-20.8%)
2011	53	#3141	-3 (-5.4%)
2010	56	#3017	+11 (24.4%)
2009	45	#3575	-34 (-43.0%)
2008	79	#2421	+7 (9.7%)
2007	72	#2573	-6 (-7.7%)
2006	78	#2402	+15 (23.8%)
2005	63	#2678	-26 (-29.2%)

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Christal a boy's or girl's name?

Christal is primarily a girl's name.

When was Christal most popular?

Christal reached its peak popularity in 1978 with 352 births that year. It is currently ranked #11292 in the U.S.

How popular is the name Christal?

Christal is currently ranked #11292 in the U.S. (2024). It has been given to 9,697 babies since 1913.

Explore More

By Length8-letter names By OriginGreek names By EndingNames in -l TrendingRising names RankingsFull rankings

Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1913–2024