Christian
PronunciationEnglish: /ˈkrɪstʃən, -tiən/
French: [kʁistjɑ̃]
German: [ˈkʁɪsti̯a(ː)n]
Danish: [ˈkʰʁestjæn]
Dutch: [ˈkrɪscɑn]
Swedish: [ˈkrɪ̌sːtɪjan]
GenderUnisex (mostly and originally male)
Origin
Language(s)Greek
Word/nameΧριστιανός
Meaning"follower of Christ"
Other names
Related namesChristiaan, Cristian, Cristiano, Chris, Kit
See alsoChristian (surname), Christopher

Christian is a unisex given name, which originated as a baptismal name used by persons of the Christian religion. It has been used as a given name since the Middle Ages, originally for males. It was later used for females,[1] without any feminising word endings.

A historically commonly used abbreviation (used for example on English 17th-century church monuments and pedigrees)[2] is Xpian, using the Greek Chi Rho Christogram Χρ, short for Χριστός, Christ. The Greek form of the baptismal name is Χριστιανός, a Christian. The name denotes a follower of Jesus Christ, thus a Christian.

In Europe, it is almost exclusively used as a male name, but in the 17th and 18th centuries, it was a popular female first name in Scotland. Female variants of the name include Christine, Christina, Christiane, Cristiane, Kristen, Cristina, Kristin, and Kirsten.

In other languages

Characters

Males with the given name Christian

Females with the given name Christian

See also

References

  1. ↑ Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006), A Dictionary of First Names, Oxford Paperback Reference (2nd ed.), Oxford University Press, p. 55, ISBN 978-0-19-861060-1
  2. ↑ For example, Xpian Rolle, a daughter of George Rolle (d.1552), as written in the Heraldic visitation of Devon, 1620 (Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L., (Ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, p.652)
  3. ↑ "St. Christian of Cologne". catholicreadings.org. Kenyan Life. 16 April 2019.
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