Christian Name: Complete Etymology, Meaning & Popularity Analysis
Summary
The name Christian has its roots in Latin, meaning 'follower of Christ'. It has evolved through various historical forms and is linked to the biblical tradition of early Christians. The name is commonly associated with values of faith and tradition and remains popular in contemporary society.
The name Christian is most popular in Nevada, USA across all generations. It ranks highest as a Boy name among the Generation Z (Gen Z or Zoomers) generation in the South region. Recent 3-year trends show this Girl name is maintaining steady popularity, while the 25-year trend indicates it has been relatively stable. Recent 3-year trends show this Boy name is declining in usage, while the 25-year trend indicates it has been gradually declining. From 2020-2022, Christian has been too rising for male in MidWest, stalled for female in MidWest, too falling for male in Northeast, stalled for female in Northeast, too rising for male in South, stalled for female in South, falling for male in West, stalled for female in West. The long-term 25-year analysis reveals it has been too rising for male in MidWest, stalled for female in MidWest, too rising for male in Northeast, stalled for female in Northeast, too rising for male in South, stalled for female in South, too rising for male in West, stalled for female in West. Across generations, 'Christian' has shown interesting popularity patterns: Among the G.I. Generation (1901-1927), it ranked 499th out of 7545 names. Among the Silent Generation (1928-1945), it ranked 593rd out of 6773 names. Among the Baby Boomers (1946-1964), it ranked 364th out of 7552 names. Among the Generation X (Gen X) (1965-1980), it ranked 137th out of 10718 names. Among the Millennials (Gen Y) (1981-1996), it ranked 56th out of 16616 names. Among the Generation Z (Gen Z or Zoomers) (1997-2012), it ranked 22nd out of 24088 names. Among the Generation Alpha (2013-2024), it ranked 54th out of 23106 names. Among the G.I. Generation (1901-1927), it ranked 4192nd out of 9107 names. Among the Silent Generation (1928-1945), it ranked 4803rd out of 9204 names. Among the Baby Boomers (1946-1964), it ranked 2775th out of 12526 names. Among the Generation X (Gen X) (1965-1980), it ranked 789th out of 19264 names. Among the Millennials (Gen Y) (1981-1996), it ranked 382nd out of 27321 names. Among the Generation Z (Gen Z or Zoomers) (1997-2012), it ranked 828th out of 35406 names. Among the Generation Alpha (2013-2024), it ranked 2303rd out of 30306 names. Discover how the name 'Christian' has evolved through American history with our comprehensive regional and generational analysis.
Etymology & Cultural Background of "Christian"
Pronunciation
/ˈkrɪs.tʃən/
Origin
Latin
Etymology
The name Christian comes from the Latin 'Christianus', which means 'follower of Christ'. It is derived from 'Christus', the Latin form of the Greek 'Christos', meaning 'anointed one'.
Meaning
follower of Christ
Language Evolution
Christianus (Latin), Christian (Middle English), Cristian (Old English)
Biblical Background
The name Christian is associated with the early followers of Jesus Christ, as mentioned in the New Testament.
Historical Usage
The name gained popularity in the early centuries of Christianity and became widely used in Europe during the Middle Ages.
Variants & Derivatives
Kristian, Cristiano, Christiaan, Cristina, Krista
Modern Popularity & Image
Today, Christian is a popular name across various cultures and often conveys a sense of faith and tradition.
Famous People
Christian Bale, Christian Dior, Christian Slater, Christian McCaffrey
Explore More Christian Name Visualizations
Historical Birth Statistics for the Name "Christian"
Note: Years with identical rankings may represent different numbers of births. Data is sourced from Social Security card applications for births in the United States.
Yearly Ranking History of "Christian"
"Christian" Popularity Across American Generations
Generation | Gender | Rank | Total Names |
---|---|---|---|
G.I. Generation (1901-1927) | Boy | 499th of 7545 | 2,411 |
Silent Generation (1928-1945) | Boy | 593rd of 6773 | 1,823 |
Baby Boomers (1946-1964) | Boy | 364th of 7552 | 7,713 |
Generation X (Gen X) (1965-1980) | Boy | 137th of 10718 | 34,137 |
Millennials (Gen Y) (1981-1996) | Boy | 56th of 16616 | 109,666 |
Generation Z (Gen Z or Zoomers) (1997-2012) | Boy | 22nd of 24088 | 217,868 |
Generation Alpha (2013-2024) | Boy | 54th of 23106 | 75,715 |
G.I. Generation (1901-1927) | Girl | 4192nd of 9107 | 84 |
Silent Generation (1928-1945) | Girl | 4803rd of 9204 | 61 |
Baby Boomers (1946-1964) | Girl | 2775th of 12526 | 325 |
Generation X (Gen X) (1965-1980) | Girl | 789th of 19264 | 2,867 |
Millennials (Gen Y) (1981-1996) | Girl | 382nd of 27321 | 10,608 |
Generation Z (Gen Z or Zoomers) (1997-2012) | Girl | 828th of 35406 | 4,921 |
Generation Alpha (2013-2024) | Girl | 2303rd of 30306 | 960 |
Regional Popularity of "Christian" by Generation for Male Names
TOP(%) | MidWest | Northeast | South | West |
---|---|---|---|---|
G.I. Generation (1901-1927) |
30.44% 431st/1416 |
22.26% 307th/1379 |
47.63% 1127th/2366 |
52.89% 604th/1142 |
Silent Generation (1928-1945) |
36.16% 559th/1546 |
20.44% 318th/1556 |
59.71% 1405th/2353 |
43.89% 679th/1547 |
Baby Boomers (1946-1964) |
15.45% 344th/2227 |
10.00% 243rd/2430 |
20.47% 584th/2853 |
11.86% 329th/2775 |
Generation X (Gen X) (1965-1980) |
4.97% 146th/2937 |
2.10% 73rd/3483 |
6.05% 213th/3518 |
2.94% 119th/4044 |
Millennials (Gen Y) (1981-1996) |
2.12% 78th/3685 |
1.16% 52nd/4475 |
1.12% 58th/5194 |
0.71% 45th/6317 |
Generation Z (Gen Z or Zoomers) (1997-2012) |
0.74% 34th/4582 |
0.54% 28th/5164 |
0.21% 15th/7313 |
0.25% 19th/7463 |
Generation Alpha (2013-2024) |
1.96% 78th/3984 |
1.14% 51st/4487 |
0.59% 40th/6822 |
0.96% 60th/6276 |
Regional Popularity of "Christian" by Generation for Female Names
TOP(%) | MidWest | Northeast | South | West |
---|---|---|---|---|
G.I. Generation (1901-1927) |
- | - | - | - |
Silent Generation (1928-1945) |
- | - | - | - |
Baby Boomers (1946-1964) |
100.00% 2227th/2227 |
94.32% 2292nd/2430 |
- |
92.90% 2578th/2775 |
Generation X (Gen X) (1965-1980) |
29.28% 860th/2937 |
26.56% 925th/3483 |
19.10% 672nd/3518 |
22.35% 904th/4044 |
Millennials (Gen Y) (1981-1996) |
13.38% 493rd/3685 |
16.04% 718th/4475 |
4.49% 233rd/5194 |
7.71% 487th/6317 |
Generation Z (Gen Z or Zoomers) (1997-2012) |
20.52% 940th/4582 |
39.00% 2014th/5164 |
7.30% 534th/7313 |
20.09% 1499th/7463 |
Generation Alpha (2013-2024) |
70.23% 2798th/3984 |
- |
24.51% 1672nd/6822 |
62.33% 3912th/6276 |
State-by-State Popularity of "Christian"
This map shows the relative popularity of "Christian" across states, calculated by dividing the number of births with this name in each state by the total births in that state. This methodology provides a standardized measure of popularity regardless of state population size.