Christian Unisex

Popularity: #76 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: KRIS-chan //ˈkrɪs.tʃən//

Origin: Latin; Greek

Meaning: Latin: 'follower of Christ'; Greek: 'anointed one'

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Christian derives from the Latin "Christianus," meaning "follower of Christ." This term itself is rooted in the Greek "Christianos," which is a derivative of "Christos," translating to "the anointed one" in reference to Jesus Christ. The earliest recorded use of the term "Christian" appears in the New Testament of the Bible, specifically in the Book of Acts, dated to the first century CE, where it is used to describe the disciples of Jesus in Antioch.

The name subsequently made its way into various languages, including Old French and Middle English, before becoming established in the English vernacular by the late Middle Ages. Throughout history, the name Christian has been associated with numerous significant figures, including saints and monarchs.

Notably, Saint Christian, a lesser-known figure, is recognized in some Christian traditions, while the name has been borne by various kings and nobles across Europe, particularly during the medieval period. The name's prominence was further bolstered by the spread of Christianity throughout Europe, especially during the conversion of various tribes and nations, where it became a symbol of faith and identity.

Culturally, the name Christian has often been linked to the ideals of faith, morality, and community, resonating deeply within Christian traditions. It has been used in various literary and artistic contexts, symbolizing devotion and the Christian way of life.

The name also has several diminutive forms, such as Chris or Kit, which have appeared in different cultures. Overall, Christian has maintained a significant presence in Christian communities and has been a name of choice for many families throughout the centuries, reflecting a rich heritage tied to religious and cultural identity.

Famous people named Christian

In this section, you will find notable people named Christian. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Christian who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Christian who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Christian Bale is an actor best known for Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and American Psycho.

Christian Slater is an actor best known for Heathers, Pump Up the Volume, and Mr. Robot.

Christian Serratos is an actress best known for The Walking Dead, Twilight, and Selena: The Series.

Christian Dior is a fashion designer best known for founding the Dior fashion house and the New Look collection.

Christian Pulisic is a professional soccer player best known for playing with Chelsea FC and the U.S. Men's National Team.

Christian McCaffrey is a professional football player best known for playing as a running back for the San Francisco 49ers and being a standout at Stanford University.

Christian von Koenigsegg is an entrepreneur best known for founding Koenigsegg Automotive and producing high-performance sports cars.

Christian Horner is a team principal best known for leading the Red Bull Racing Formula One team to multiple championships.

Christian Lacroix is a fashion designer best known for his haute couture collections and theatrical designs.

Christian Kane is an actor and musician best known for his roles in Angel, Leverage, and The Librarians.

Fictional characters named Christian

The following list of fictional characters named Christian is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Christian is a fictional character from the musical and film Moulin Rouge!. He is a young writer who falls in love with a cabaret actress in the bohemian underworld of Paris.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Christian, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Christian. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Christian was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Christian has ranked as high as #29 nationally, which occurred in 2000, and has been most popular in California, Texas, New York, Florida, and Illinois.

In the past 5 years the name Christian has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Christian is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Christian was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Top States for Christian (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. In some cases, you may see four or five states listed. However, we only display states where the name represents a significant percentage of births, so the number of states shown can range from one to several.

State Births Share
TX 681
17%
CA 598
15%
FL 316
8%
NY 212
5%
NC 161
4%
GA 157
4%
PA 136
3%
IL 126
3%
VA 114
3%
MI 110
3%
OH 110
3%
LA 94
2%
AZ 92
2%
TN 88
2%
MA 77
2%

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Christian.

YearBirths
20244,247
20234,153
20224,483
20214,634
20205,101
20195,780
20186,581
20177,021
20167,668
20158,218
20148,479
20139,350
20129,639
201110,334
201011,109
200912,654
200813,068
200714,062
200614,487
200514,209
200413,925
200313,908
200214,596
200115,457
200016,057
199914,782
199814,522
199715,059
199615,823
199513,812
199411,987
199311,890
199211,954
19919,447
19906,782
19894,626
19883,936
19873,324
19863,214
19852,914
19842,727
19832,419
19822,576
19812,235
19802,318
19792,264
19782,207
19772,295
19762,268
19752,462
19742,490
19732,693
19722,962
19712,641
19702,623
19692,194
19681,781
19671,320
1966889
1965730
1964711
1963672
1962650
1961606
1960662
1959581
1958427
1957327
1956389
1955350
1954352
1953338
1952319
1951272
1950268
1949218
1948202
1947187
1946182
1945141
1944135
1943135
1942108
1941122
194099
193994
193899
193785
193691
193571
193492
193377
193286
193187
193094
192993
1928114
1927112
1926113
1925105
1924125
1923116
1922160
1921132
1920143
1919125
1918155
1917149
1916154
1915151
1914122
191391
191291
191141
191040
190929
190829
190732
190633
190526
190430
190336
190233
190138
190035
189942
189830
189739
189636
189553
189440
189339
189242
189134
189049
188951
188851
188747
188633
188555
188454
188350
188249
188153
188043