Callista
Callista is a feminine given name derived from the Greek word καλλίστη or kallístē, meaning "fairest" or "most beautiful". In Greek mythology, Callisto was a huntress, who was loved by the god Zeus. Calista is a variant English spelling of the same Greek word. Calista is also a Late Latin name that evolved as a Spanish form of Calixta, the feminine version of the name Calixtus.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Callista
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Callista is a feminine given name derived from the Greek word καλλίστη or kallístē, meaning "fairest" or "most beautiful". In Greek mythology, Callisto was a huntress, who was loved by the god Zeus. Calista is a variant English spelling of the same Greek word. Calista is also a Late Latin name that evolved as a Spanish form of Calixta, the feminine version of the name Calixtus.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Callista
American parents first put Callista on the record books as a baby girl name in 1914, with 7 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1999, when 137 Callistas were born — ranking #1,315 that year. About 36% of every Callista on record arrived during the 2000s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Callista ranks #4,341 for baby girls with 32 births, falling sharply (-22%). All told, over 3K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1910s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Callista
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Callista. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Callista
Phonetically similar names — useful when Callista is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Callista
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About the name Callista
Callista is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1914 and has accumulated 3K births in the dataset. Callista's peak popularity came in 1999 when it ranked #1,315. Use the chart and map above to compare Callista's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1999 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "C" →
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- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.