Boy · #85 in 2026

Christian

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.

Current Rank
#85
Peak Rank
#21 (2000)
Total Babies
458K
5-Yr Trend
-28%
1886
First Year
2026
Last Year
1992
Peak Year
#280
Peak Rank
20K
Total Count
106
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Christian

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

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.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Christian

Christian first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 43 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2000, when 16,057 Christians were born — ranking #22 that year. As of 2026, Christian ranks #85 for baby boys with 3,957 births, falling sharply (-28%). In total, more than 458K Christians have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
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WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
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Top 10
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101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Christian

Phonetically similar names — useful when Christian 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 Christian

What does the name Christian mean?
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.
How popular is Christian in 2026?
In 2026, Christian ranks #85 among boys' names in the U.S., with 3,957 babies given the name that year.
When was Christian most popular?
Christian reached its peak popularity in 2000, ranking #21 that year with 16,057 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Christian most popular?
Christian has historically been most popular in U.S. Territories, Puerto Rico, Georgia. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Christian.
Is Christian a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Christian is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Christian?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Christian include Ernest, Ralph, Gabriel. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Christian

Christian is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 458K births in the dataset. Christian's peak popularity came in 2000 when it ranked #21. Use the chart and map above to compare Christian's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.