The baby name Calista combines an intriguing sound, lovely meaning, and familiar-but-rare quality, too.

Thanks to Laney for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.

THE MEANING of CALISTA: BEAUTIFUL

Bonnie. Linda. Bella. Jolie.

Names that mean pretty or beautiful often catch parents’ imaginations. The baby name Calista fits this list perfectly.

In Greek, kallistos translates to “most beautiful.” In the ancient world, it was used to refer to a goddess: Kalliste Artemis.

There’s also the story of the nymph – or possibly a princess – Kallisto. Her beauty attracted the attentions of the god Zeus. What happens next varies from story to story, but ultimately, Kallisto was turned into a bear to spare her from a worse fate – and then, again, transformed when danger loomed.

We know now her as the constellation Ursa Major.

The masculine Callistus or Callixtus was worn by three popes and a handful of saints.

In addition to Kallisto, Callisto and Callixto emerged as feminine forms.

And then there’s Callista and Calista.

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FAMOUS FIGURES: CALISTA FLOCKHART

Both Calista and Callista are used in small numbers in the US over the years. The baby name Calista charted in the US Top 1000 just twice, way back in 1880 and 1881.

But the name remained obscure until a hit television series came along.

Actress Calista Flockhart starred as a fledgling attorney with a wild imagination in FOX’s Ally McBeal from 1997 to 2002.

And yes, it’s really Flockhart’s given name. In fact, her mother was born Kay Calista, and reversed it to call her daughter Calista Kay.

In any case, the quirky hit show pushed Calista into the US Top 1000 for the first time since 1881.

The name debuted at #697 in 1998 and reached #519 a year later. But by 2004, it had fallen to #866 – and then headed right back towards obscurity.

While Ms. Flockhart’s career has continued, as Kitty Walker on Brothers & Sisters and Cat Grant in Supergirl, it’s not been enough to put Calista back in the spotlight as a given name.

Calista

most beautiful

Lovely, flowing Calista is rare now, but could substitute for favorites like Camila and Penelope.

Popularity

unranked in the US as of 2022

Trend

falling in use

Origin

from a character in ancient Greek myth

VINTAGE GEM

While the baby name Calista was never common, it occurs over the centuries.

Calista Vinton survived childhood illnesses to marry and work as a missionary in what we now call Myanamar; her daughter, Calista Luther, would continue her parents’ work before marrying and training as a medical doctor. After graduating in 1885, she served female patients while advocating for more women in the medical field.

Born in 1939, Callista Roy would become a pioneer in the field of nursing.

CALISTA, ALASKA

In 1971, Congress passed the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, compensating native peoples for land taken by settlers, and creating regional corporations to administer the land going forward.

One of those is the Calista Corporation, representing mostly Alaskans of Yup’ik descent. The name comes from the Yup’ik words cali-, meaning “to work” and -ista, referring to a person or group that acts.

While it’s almost certainly not a factor in the use of Calista as a personal name, it’s an interesting addition to the story.

WHAT ABOUT CALLISTO?

In our age of Willow, Margot, and Shiloh, maybe it’s Callisto that deserves a second look.

On Xena: Warrior Princess, Callisto was a sadistic psychopath with a mean right hook. The show ran from 1995 to 2001, with Callisto appearing as Xena’s nemesis – and sometimes grudging ally – throughout the series.

In the X-Men, Callisto was a scarred and eye-patched subterranean dweller who eventually embraced her powers and joined the fight for good. Along the way, she lived up to the promise of her name and became a supermodel.

There’s also a minor Star Wars figure known as Callista Ming, who appears in the novels. Given the constantly expanding universe, it’s possible we’ll see more of her in the future.

NIGHT SKY NAME

Speaking of stars, this is a serious night sky name.

The constellation Callisto is one famous reference.

But there’s also a moon of Jupiter by the name. It’s the second largest of Jupiter’s moons, behind only Ganymede. Like all of the planet’s moons, the name Callisto was chosen because of the mythological connection to the Greek god Zeus – a.k.a. Jupiter in Roman mythology

With Luna and Stella topping the popularity charts, the baby name Calista is a subtle choice, but one that also looks to the stars.

Ever since the initial burst of Ally McBeal-fueled interest in the name, Calista has fallen in use. As of 2022, just 114 girls received the name.

Add in other forms, and this remains a rare choice:

  • Just 47 girls were named Callista in 2022.
  • Another 9 girls and 8 boys were named Callisto.
  • 33 were named Kalista, with another 12 called Kallista.
  • Callixto, Calixto, Kallisto, and Kalisto have never appeared in US popularity data, meaning they’ve never been given to five children of a single gender in any given year, dating back to 1880.

While Calista is the most popular of the possibilities, and generally familiar thanks to the actress, it’s quite uncommon.

Potential nickname Callie, on the other hand, ranked #187 in the US popularity data for 2022, with Cali, Kali, Kallie, also charting in the US Top 1000. Names like Calliope, Caroline, and Kaliyah might all lead to the nickname, too.

CALISTA: LOVELY and RARE

Overall, the baby name Calista feels like a great alternative to names like Sophia, Camila, Aurora, Valentina, and Eliza. It’s feminine, with a certain vintage flair and plenty of history. But it’s nicely unexpected – a strong name with a positive meaning and a great stands-out/fits-in style.

What do you think of the baby name Calista?

About Abby Sandel

Whether you're naming a baby, or just all about names, you've come to the right place! Appellation Mountain is a haven for lovers of obscure gems and enduring classics alike.

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What do you think?

17 Comments

  1. I want to like Calista – I love her sound and she is rather snappy, but to me, she feels a little ‘two-dimensional’ or shallow. Know what I mean? I don’t know how to explain it – she just feels a little ‘blank’, like there’s no depth behind her. I don’t know ๐Ÿ™‚

    Still, I’d be charmed to see her on another little girl.

  2. Kat, I love Calla too. Unfortunately my dear boyfriend isn’t crazy about it. He’d rather name her Calista and use Calla as a nickname.

  3. Love Calista! Greek names are awesome, and this is one of my favorite names. I’d totally use it for a little girl if I can get my and Eric’s parents and grandparents to warm up to it. They are very old fashioned people so they want names like Charlotte (which I hate) or Emma, and we know several of those. lol

    Calista is a beautiful, classy name. Still working on middle names.

  4. Calista is nice, but seems so flighty for me. I don’t think I would use it. I actually really like Calixta though. The X grounds it down. I love x’s though. (Beatrix, Calixta, Felix!)

  5. I like Calista, but I like Calla much better. Calla was kiboshed early by my husband AND mother in law, saying that it sounded like half a name, but I love its simplicity and grace. Maybe I can make another bid for it before its too late.

    I think what makes me hesitate on Calista is the -ista ending. Makes me think of “fashionista” or something. It’s also a suffix often used in Spanish, which takes away the Greek feel for me.

  6. I’ve had some people recommend this name to me on message boards (Lola, was that you? LOL). I think I would enjoy this name on someone else’s lil girl. Saying the name aloud, it has a tinkly bell sound to it whenever I say it. It gives me the same feeling as when I say “castanets”. I tend to avoid names with actress associations, just because I don’t want everyone to say, “oh, you mean like the actress?”

  7. I like, but don’t love Calista. It is a nice enough name, but much like Kate, it doesn’t get me all revved up. When I was younger… like back in grade school, I had a thing for “C” names and really loved many (although, I can’t say that Calista was one of them). Now, C-starters float my boat much less often – there are still a few that have spark for me, but Calista is not one of them. Still, I do like it… just not loving it.

  8. Calista’s certainly got interesting roots and such a strong and arresting yet feminine look, plus as Verity has pointed out, she is at once familiar yet rare; all of which ticks my boxes and yet I feel rather nonplussed about her. I can’t say that she doesn’t stand out because she does, but she just doesn’t set my world on fire and I quickly discount her whenever she gets mentioned, just a gut feeling I suppose. Interesting choice though!

  9. I think Calista is a really pretty names. like a few people i guess i only became aware of it through Calista Flockhart. Its a name which translate to me like birds and flying and freedom. I love it but not liking the nicknames like Bonnie or Linda or Jolie

  10. I like Calista but prefer Callisto. It’s that -o ending that grabs me. There are so few for girls, I’ll tal what I can get!

    I wonder though, Why Calista, Callisto & Callixto? Whee did Calista’s other ‘l’ go? Or is Callista legit as well?

    It doesn’t really matter, I thoroughly like Calista, whatever the spelling. I frequently toss her out on suggested lists, hoping someone will pick up on her. No luck so far, but I’m still hoping to meet one someday. Calista’s lovely in sound, got strength in her mythological roots and beats the pants off of Madison any day! ๐Ÿ˜€