The name Kirsten first appeared in the U.S. baby name data in 1937:
- 1939: 16 baby girls named Kirsten
- 1938: 14 baby girls named Kirsten
- 1937: 10 baby girls named Kirsten
- 1936: unlisted
- 1935: unlisted
The reason?
Norwegian opera singer Kirsten (pronounced keer-sten) Flagstad, who became famous in America in the mid-1930s, particularly for playing Wagnerian roles (like Isolde in Tristan und Isolde, and Brünnhilde in Die Walküre). People would have been able to hear her on 1930s radio shows like Kraft Music Hall (NBC) with Bing Crosby and The Ford Sunday Evening Hour (CBS).
Her first name is the Norwegian form of Christina. (She also had an interesting middle name, Malfrid, which is made up of Old Norse elements meaning “ore” and “beautiful.”)
Do you like the name Kirsten?
Sources: Kirsten Flagstad – Wikipedia, Malfrid – Nordic Names Wiki