Calista as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Calista

What is the meaning of the name Calista ?

The baby name Calista is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced kuh-LIS-tuh (IPA: /kəˈlɪstə/).

Calista is Greek in Origin.

Calista derives from the Greek kallistos, the superlative of kalos 'beautiful,' meaning 'most beautiful.' Via Latin it appears as Callista/Calista, and it is related to the mythic Callisto, the nymph transformed into a bear and commemorated in the Ursa Major constellation. The name thus carries associations of beauty and celestial lore.

Recorded in late antiquity and medieval Latin records in its Callista spelling, it resurfaced in English during the 18th–19th‑century taste for classical names. Modern recognition in the U.S. and beyond increased in the late 1990s with actress Calista Flockhart. Common variants include Callista, Kalista, and Kallista; the cognate Callisto is occasionally used as a unisex form. Short forms and nicknames include Callie and Cali. Calista remains a distinctive yet accessible choice that blends classical elegance with contemporary appeal.