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Clista
How to Pronounce Clista
Pronounced KLIS-tuh /ˈklɪs.tə/Medium
Meaning: Clista is most plausibly a contracted form of Calista or Callista, from the Greek kallistos, 'most beautiful' - the superlative of kalos, 'beautiful.' As a rare Southern given name it may also be an independent coinage; the route is uncertain.Low
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Clista is best read as a trimmed form of Calista, from the Greek kallistos, 'most beautiful,' though as an uncommon early-century name it may be a local coinage. It has the crisp, consonant-forward sound of many Appalachian girls' names of its day.
It was never common, given to only about fifteen girls a year even at its peak around 1920, and had faded by mid-century. A girl named Clista then would belong to her great-grandmother's generation.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Clista mean?
It is most likely a short form of Calista, from the Greek kallistos, 'most beautiful'; as a rare name its route is uncertain.
How do you pronounce Clista?
It is said KLIS-tuh /ˈklɪs.tə/ - two syllables, stress on the first.
Is Clista a boy or girl name?
Clista is used as a girl's name.
How popular is Clista?
It was always rare in the United States, given to only about fifteen girls a year even at its peak in the nineteen-twenties.