Nesta
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- NES-ta
- Origin
- Greek
Nesta is a girls' name of Greek origin, meaning “pure, chaste”. Too few babies were given it in the latest year to rank.
What does Nesta mean?
Greek: Latinised form of Nest, the Welsh pet form of Agnes
“pure, chaste”
Nest ferch Rhys, a 12th-century Welsh princess famed for her beauty, is the best-known early bearer.
Is Nesta a girl's or a boy's name?
Nesta is a girls' name.
How popular is Nesta in the UK?
No girls in the UK were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 2017, with 11 girls.
Half of all the girls named Nesta in the UK since 1996 were born between 2006 and 2017, the years shaded on the chart below.
Nesta in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | #4,907 |
| 2023 | 5 | #4,251 |
| 2022 | 4 | #4,870 |
| 2021 | 8 | #3,082 |
| 2020 | 0 | – |
| 2019 | 4 | #4,904 |
| 2018 | 1 | #7,536 |
| 2017 | 11 | #2,485 |
| 2016 | 4 | #4,980 |
| 2015 | 3 | #5,983 |
| 2014 | 5 | #4,187 |
| 2013 | 3 | #6,003 |
| 2012 | 8 | #3,148 |
| 2011 | 6 | #3,737 |
| 2010 | 7 | #3,308 |
| 2009 | 0 | – |
| 2008 | 0 | – |
| 2007 | 4 | #4,494 |
| 2006 | 6 | #3,280 |
| 2005 | 6 | #3,133 |
| 2004 | 0 | – |
| 2003 | 4 | #3,768 |
| 2002 | 5 | #3,047 |
| 2001 | 0 | – |
| 2000 | 0 | – |
| 1999 | 4 | #3,374 |
| 1998 | 0 | – |
| 1997 | 4 | #3,345 |
How popular is Nesta in the US?
No girls in the US were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 1937, with 11 girls. It first appears in the records in 1928.
Half of all the girls named Nesta in the US since 1880 were born between 1935 and 2013, the years shaded on the chart below.
Nesta in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 11 | #8,941 |
| 2023 | 0 | – |
| 2022 | 0 | – |
| 2021 | 0 | – |
| 2020 | 0 | – |
| 2019 | 0 | – |
| 2018 | 7 | #12,459 |
| 2017 | 0 | – |
| 2016 | 6 | #14,326 |
| 2015 | 0 | – |
| 2014 | 0 | – |
| 2013 | 6 | #14,577 |
| 2012 | 6 | #14,956 |
| 2011 | 0 | – |
| 2010 | 5 | #16,985 |
| 2009 | 5 | #17,288 |
| 2008 | 0 | – |
| 2007 | 0 | – |
| 2006 | 0 | – |
| 2005 | 0 | – |
| 2004 | 0 | – |
| 2003 | 0 | – |
| 2002 | 0 | – |
| 2001 | 0 | – |
| 2000 | 0 | – |
| 1999 | 0 | – |
| 1998 | 0 | – |
| 1997 | 0 | – |
| 1996 | 0 | – |
| 1995 | 0 | – |
| 1994 | 0 | – |
| 1993 | 0 | – |
| 1992 | 0 | – |
| 1991 | 0 | – |
| 1990 | 0 | – |
| 1989 | 0 | – |
| 1988 | 0 | – |
| 1987 | 0 | – |
| 1986 | 0 | – |
| 1985 | 0 | – |
| 1984 | 0 | – |
| 1983 | 0 | – |
| 1982 | 0 | – |
| 1981 | 0 | – |
| 1980 | 0 | – |
| 1979 | 0 | – |
| 1978 | 0 | – |
| 1977 | 0 | – |
| 1976 | 0 | – |
| 1975 | 0 | – |
| 1974 | 0 | – |
| 1973 | 0 | – |
| 1972 | 0 | – |
| 1971 | 0 | – |
| 1970 | 0 | – |
| 1969 | 0 | – |
| 1968 | 0 | – |
| 1967 | 0 | – |
| 1966 | 0 | – |
| 1965 | 0 | – |
| 1964 | 0 | – |
| 1963 | 0 | – |
| 1962 | 0 | – |
| 1961 | 0 | – |
| 1960 | 0 | – |
| 1959 | 0 | – |
| 1958 | 0 | – |
| 1957 | 0 | – |
| 1956 | 0 | – |
| 1955 | 0 | – |
| 1954 | 0 | – |
| 1953 | 0 | – |
| 1952 | 0 | – |
| 1951 | 0 | – |
| 1950 | 0 | – |
| 1949 | 0 | – |
| 1948 | 0 | – |
| 1947 | 0 | – |
| 1946 | 0 | – |
| 1945 | 0 | – |
| 1944 | 0 | – |
| 1943 | 0 | – |
| 1942 | 0 | – |
| 1941 | 6 | #3,952 |
| 1940 | 0 | – |
| 1939 | 5 | #4,248 |
| 1938 | 6 | #3,845 |
| 1937 | 11 | #2,569 |
| 1936 | 0 | – |
| 1935 | 6 | #3,740 |
| 1934 | 9 | #2,922 |
| 1933 | 0 | – |
| 1932 | 0 | – |
| 1931 | 0 | – |
| 1930 | 5 | #4,548 |
| 1929 | 0 | – |
| 1928 | 5 | #4,723 |
Names like Nesta
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Lyra, Ava, Lola, Lara, Isla, Pippa, Sophia, Mila, Cora, Bella, Eva, Lyla
More Greek names
Luca, Theodore, George, Theo, Lucas, Sofia, Alexander, Sebastian, Penelope, Phoebe, Margot, Luke, Chloe, Sophie, Zoe, Iris
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Nesta: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/nesta, updated 20 October 2026.