Christian
Christian was the 96th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 3,641 babies. Its best year was 2006, when it ranked 21st; the most babies were born in 2000 (16,059). Over the last ten years it has moved down 53 places. More babies were named Christian in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning follower of Christ · Latin, Greek
Say it KRIS-chuhn /ˈkrɪstʃən/
- Rank in 2025
- #96 boys, down 34 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 3,641boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 200016,059 babies
- Total since 1880
- 473,843babies recorded
What does the name Christian mean?
Christian comes from Latin Christianus, 'a Christian', from Greek Christos, 'anointed one', the title given to Jesus. As a personal name it was used in medieval Europe for both men and women; DMNES finds Christianus in an English record of 1183, and it became a royal name in Denmark. Wiktionary notes the feminine use is now rare in English, where Christina and Christine took its place. Christian remains common across Scandinavia and Germany.
Chrīstiānus (Latin, “Christian”)Χριστός (Ancient Greek, “anointed; Christ”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Christiaan, Kristian, Cristian, Christen, Christina.
See also: Latin names, names that mean God.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Christian', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Wiktionary, entry 'Christian', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Christian
The usual nicknames for Christian are Chris. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Christian in the last five years, 9 were named Chris, against 5 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chris · also for Christopher, Christina, Christine | Traditional | #646 | 2,005 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Christians go by each one.
Christian popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 19,875 since 1886, 27 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #96 | 3,641 |
| 2020 | #62 | 5,104 |
| 2010 | #29 | 11,110 |
| 2000 | #22 | 16,059 |
| 1990 | #60 | 6,786 |
| 1980 | #118 | 2,318 |
| 1970 | #127 | 2,623 |
| 1960 | #301 | 662 |
| 1950 | #412 | 268 |
| 1940 | #598 | 99 |
| 1930 | #632 | 94 |
| 1920 | #508 | 143 |
| 1910 | #432 | 40 |
| 1900 | #377 | 35 |
| 1890 | #238 | 49 |
| 1880 | #253 | 43 |
How popular is Christian, counting every spelling?
Christian is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #103 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #96 for Christian on its own. Together these spellings went to 3,685 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christian | 3,641 | #96 | 21,193 |
| Khristian | 44 | #2,862 | 285 |
| Chrystian | — | — | 29 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Christian?
3,641 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Christian (1.01 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Christian born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 2 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Christian.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Christian?
About 434,100 people born in the US named Christian are alive today, with a median age of 24; half are between 16 and 32. That makes Christian mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Christian by state
How common Christian was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Delaware (1.7×), Mississippi (1.6×), New Mexico (1.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Montana, Maine, Minnesota.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Christian: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Christian, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Christian · Sibling names for Christian
Questions about the name Christian
What does Christian mean?
Christian means “follower of Christ” (Latin, Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Christian?
Christian was the 96th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 3,641 babies. Its best year was 2006, when it ranked 21st; the most babies were born in 2000 (16,059). Over the last ten years it has moved down 53 places. More babies were named Christian in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Christian a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Christian in the US.
Where is Christian most popular?
In 2021–2025, Christian was most common in Delaware (4.09 per 1,000 boys), followed by Mississippi and New Mexico.