The first name Christian
A boy’s name from Greek meaning “christ”, “anointed [one]”.
Pronounced /ˈkɹɪʃt͡ʃən/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Greek origin
Christian means “christ”, “anointed [one]” in Greek.
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.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 105 boys were named Christian, making it the 393rd most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 627 births (#90).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Christian with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Christian at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 3,641 boys born in the United States were named Christian, the 96th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2000, when 16,059 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Christian in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Christian in Danish, French and German too.
Nicknames and spellings
Other spellings and forms
- Xtian
- Xian
- Cristian
Famous people named Christian
722 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Hans Christian AndersenDanish writer and poet (1805–1875)
- Christian BaleAmerican-English actor (born 1974)
- Hans Christian ØrstedDanish physicist and chemist (1777-1851)
- Christian Wulff10th German Federal President, born 1959
- Christian DopplerrAustrian mathematician and physicist (1803-1853)
- Christian DiorFrench fashion designer (1905–1957)
- Christian EriksenDanish association football player, born 1992
- Christian de DuveBelgian biochemist, cytologist (1917–2013)
- Johann Christian BachGerman composer (1735–1782)
- Christian B. AnfinsenAmerican biochemist (1916–1995)
- Christian PulisicAmerican soccer player (born 1998)
- Roch Marc Christian KaboréFormer President of Burkina Faso ousted in a coup d'état on 23 Jan 2022
More Greek boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Christian mean?
- Christian means “christ”, “anointed [one]” in Greek.
- What is the origin of the name Christian?
- 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 the name Christian?
- In 2025, 105 boys born in England and Wales were named Christian, ranking 393rd. Its peak was 1996, with 627 births.
- Is Christian a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 96% of the 473,843 US babies named Christian since 1880 were boys.
- When was Christian most popular?
- 2000 in the United States, when 16,059 babies were named Christian, its highest rank at 22nd.
- How do you pronounce Christian?
- Christian is /ˈkɹɪʃt͡ʃən/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Christian?
- Xtian, Xian and Cristian.
- Is Christian also a surname?
- Yes. Christian is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.