Christian
Christian: name meaning, origin and popularity
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈkɹɪʃt͡ʃən/ · /ˈkɹɪstiən/
Meaning and origin of Christian
- A male given name from Ancient Greek found in England since the twelfth century.
- A female given name from Ancient Greek of medieval usage, rare today.
Etymology
From Middle English Cristien, from Old French chrestien, from Latin Chrīstiānus, from Ancient Greek Χρῑστιᾱνός (Khrīstiānós), from Χρῑστός (Khrīstós, “Christ, anointed [one]”) + Latin suffix -ānus. The older form is Christen. Doublet of cretin. By surface analysis, Christ + -ian.
How popular is Christian?
Since 1880, 19,875 girls and 453,968 boys in the U.S. have been named Christian (4% girls). Its highest rank for girls was #280 in 1992. Its highest rank for boys was #21 in 2006. In 2025 it ranked #96 for boys, with 3,668 babies given the name.
Names similar to Christian
Names that start with the same letters, most popular first.
Christian FAQ
What does the name Christian mean?
A male given name from Ancient Greek found in England since the twelfth century. A female given name from Ancient Greek of medieval usage, rare today. From Middle English Cristien, from Old French chrestien, from Latin Chrīstiānus, from Ancient Greek Χρῑστιᾱνός (Khrīstiānós), from Χρῑστός (Khrīstós, “Christ, anointed [one]”) + Latin suffix -ānus. The older form is Christen. Doublet of cretin. By surface analysis, Christ + -ian.
What is the origin of the name Christian?
Christian is listed as a name of Ancient Greek found in England since the origin.
How popular is the name Christian?
Since 1880, 19,875 girls and 453,968 boys in the U.S. have been named Christian (4% girls). Its highest rank for girls was #280 in 1992. Its highest rank for boys was #21 in 2006. In 2025 it ranked #96 for boys, with 3,668 babies given the name.
Is Christian a boy or girl name?
Christian is mostly a boy name in the U.S.: 19,875 girls and 453,968 boys since 1880.
Popularity data: U.S. Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880–2025 (names given to 5+ babies per year). Origin and etymology text: Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.