Christen
Christen is a name with multiple cultural origins: Danish, Norwegian, English.
- Danish
- Norwegian
- English
Meaning & Origin of Christen
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Christen is a name with multiple cultural origins: Danish, Norwegian, English.
Origin data from Behind the Name .
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Danish
- Norwegian
- English
The Story of Christen
As a girl name
American parents first put Christen on the record books as a girl name in 1910, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1982, when 569 Christens were born — ranking #405 that year. The 1980s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 41% of all recorded Christens. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #9,308 among girl names with 8 births, falling sharply (-47%). In total, more than 12K Christens have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
American parents first put Christen on the record books as a boy name in 1916, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1991, when 61 Christens were born — ranking #1,452 that year. The 1990s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 20% of all recorded Christens. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #7,645 among boy names with 7 births, falling sharply (-43%). In total, more than 2K Christens have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Christen
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Christen. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Christen
Phonetically similar names — useful when Christen is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Christen
What does the name Christen mean?
What is the origin of the name Christen?
How popular is Christen in 2026?
When was Christen most popular?
In which U.S. states is Christen most popular?
Is Christen a unisex name?
What names go well with Christen?
What are nicknames or variants of Christen?
About the name Christen
Christen is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1910 and has accumulated 12K births in the dataset. Christen's peak popularity came in 1982 when it ranked #405. Use the chart and map above to compare Christen's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1982 →
- Names of the 1980s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.