The name Christian comes from a Latin word that means “follower of Christ,”1 just as the word Christian does in English. Origin: Christian is derived from the Latin “Christianus,” which means “a follower of Christ.”

Origin: Christian is derived from the Latin “Christianus,” which means “a follower of Christ.”

Gender: Christian can be used for both boys and girls, though it is more commonly used as a masculine name. Feminine variants include Christa, Christine, and Christina.

Pronunciation: KRIS-chin


How Popular Is the Name Christian?
 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.2Although 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.