The name Christian comes from a Latin word that means “follower of Christ,” just as the word Christian does in English.

Christian is a consistently popular name in the U.S., and has become even more popular in the past 35 years. In 1986, it joined the top 100 names for boys in the U.S., ranking as No. 89. It continued to rise, reaching its peak at No. 21 in 2006. The latest statistics show that Christian is the No. 62 name for boys in America. Although the name Christian is typically used as a masculine name, it can certainly be used however you see fit as sex doesn’t have to be a part of your name selection process.

Name Variations

As the Christian religion has spread across the globe, there are equivalents to the name Christian in virtually every known language. Some of the most common forms include:

Christiaan (Afrikaans)Chrétien (French)Críosdaidh (Gaelic)Cristian (Galician)Cristián (Spanish)Cristiano (Italian)Karsten (Dutch)Kristen (Swedish)Kristian (Danish)Kristián (Czech)Kristiāns (Latvian)Kristijan (Croatian)Kristijonas (Lithuanian)Kristjan (Estonian)Kristján (Icelandic)Kristo (Albanian)Krisztián (Hungarian)Krystian (Polish)

Feminine variants include Christina, Christine, Cristina, Kirsten, Kristen, Kristin, Kristina, and Kyrsten. Note that in Scandinavian cultures, Kristen is a masculine form while Kristin is the feminine equivalent.

Similar Names

Closely related is the name Christopher (meaning “Christ-bearer”) and its family of similar names: Christoffel, Christoffer, Cristofo, Kristobal, Kristoff, Kristofor, Krisztofer. Other boy names starting with C:

CalebCalvinCameronCarsonCarterCharlesChaseColeColtonConnorCooperColinColt

Suggested Sibling Names

AustinDestinyGavinHaileyJonathanLaurenLukeMorganSamuelVictoria

Famous People Named Christian

There have been a number of notable people named Christian. These include: 

Christian Alexander, American actor known for his role on “General Hospital”Christian Bale, English actor known for playing Batman in the “Dark Knight” film seriesChristian Bauman, American novelist known for his book “The Ice Beneath You”Christian Bergman, American baseball player who played for the Colorado Rockies and Seattle MarinersChristian Bethancourt, Panamanian baseball player who plays for the Pittsburgh PiratesChristian Bizot, French winemaker, head of the Bollinger Champagne houseChristian Boros, German advertising agency founder and art collectorChristian Bryant. American football playerChristian Cooke, English actor known for his roles in the films “Where the Heart Is,” “Demons,” and “Trinity”Christian DiLauro, American football playerChristian Dior, French fashion designer, founder of one of the world’s best known fashion brandsChristian Doppler, Austrian mathematician and physicist who discovered the principle known as the “Doppler Effect”Christian Garcia, American baseball player who pitched for the Washington NationalsChristian Hosoi, American professional skateboarderChristian Kirk, American football player who plays for the Arizona CardinalsChristian Lacroix, French fashion designerChristian Latouche, French businessman who is the founder and CEO of Fiducial SAChristian Jimenez, American soccer playerChristian Kälin, Swiss lawyer and businessman who is the chairman of Henley & PartnersChristian Navarro, American actor known for his role in the Netflix series “13 Reasons Why”Christian Okoye, Nigerian-American football player who played for the Kansas City ChiefsChristian Ponder, American football player who played quarterback for the Minnesota VikingsChristian Reiher, German mathematician known for solving Kemnitz’s conjectureChristian Rosenmeier, American politician known for the legislation that created Charles A. Lindbergh State Park and Camp RipleyChristian Siriano, American fashion designer who gained fame as the winner of the “Project Runway” competitionChristian Slater, American actor known for his roles in such films as “Heathers,” “Pump Up the Volume,” and “True Romance”Christian Taylor, American athlete who won the gold medal for the triple jump in the 2016 Olympic GamesChristian Wulff, German politician who served as President of Germany from 2010 to 2012Christian Yelich, American baseball player who plays for the Milwaukee Brewers

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