# Christian (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/christian/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname originating as a patronymic.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | French |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 54,198 |
| US rank (2010) | 626 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 5,697 people |
| Change since 2000 | +5.9% (51,177 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkɹɪʃt͡ʃən/, 2 syllables |
| Variant spellings | Xtian, Xian |

## 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.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Christian in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 66% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 25% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3.6% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 2.3% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.6% |
| Two or more races | 2.5% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Christian in the United States, the United Kingdom, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia and Argentina.

## People named Christian

- Claudia Christian, American actress
- Cody Christian, American actor
- Charlie Christian, American swing and jazz guitarist (1916-1942)
- Brendan Christian, Antigua and Barbuda sprinter
- Shawn Christian, American actor
- Bill Christian, American ice hockey player (born 1938)
- Dave Christian, American ice hockey player
- Frederick Christian, British cricketer (1867-1934)
- Roger Christian, American ice hockey player (1935–2011)
- Mark Christian, British cyclist
- Greg Christian, American bassist
- Gabrielle Christian, American actress

and 10 more on Wikidata.

## Similar surnames

Christiano, Christiana, Christensen, Christopher, Christiansen, Christie, Christy, Christianson, Christman, Christenson, Crist, Christ.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.