boys' name ★ peaked 1996

Christian

Meaning Christ, anointed [one] Gender Boy · 4% girls Rank 2025 #96 Trend ↓ Falling 28%

From Middle English Cristien, from Old French chrestien, from Latin Chrīstiānus, from Ancient Greek Χρῑστιᾱνός (Khrīstiānós), from Χρῑστός (Khrīstós, “Christ, anointed…

Rank 2025
#96
among boys · ↓19 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
3,668
named Christian · -15% vs 2024
How common
1 in 469
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1996
16,544 babies
All-time total
473,843
#69 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Christian popularity over time

473,843 babies have been named Christian since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
2.557.51018801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s 11 486 497 50 – #208
1890s 10 404 414 41 -17% #238
1900s – 321 321 32 -22% #278
1910s 30 1,119 1,149 115 +258% #404
1920s 66 1,213 1,279 128 +11% #490
1930s 20 876 896 90 -30% #592
1940s 73 1,529 1,602 160 +79% #453
1950s 155 3,623 3,778 378 +136% #323
1960s 634 10,213 10,847 1,085 +187% #140
1970s 2,001 24,902 26,903 2,690 +148% #96
1980s 5,077 30,289 35,366 3,537 +31% #78
1990s 7,519 126,065 133,584 13,358 +278% #24
2000s 2,826 142,433 145,259 14,526 +9% #21
2010s 1,209 84,198 85,407 8,541 -41% #29
2020s (to 2025) 244 26,297 26,541 4,424 -48% #62

Where Christian is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 3,439 2.01 #103
2027 3,276 1.92 #107
2028 3,144 1.84 #111
2029 3,035 1.78 #118
2030 2,946 1.72 #122

Where Christian is most popular

Boys named Christian per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 2.45 per 1,000. Strongest in Delaware, Mississippi, and New Mexico.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Christian born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Delaware 62 4.09 +67%
Mississippi 229 4.03 +64%
New Mexico 131 3.98 +62%
District of Columbia 54 3.66 +49%
Texas 3,213 3.65 +49%
Louisiana 370 3.62 +47%
New Jersey 717 3.56 +45%
Connecticut 241 3.56 +45%
Rhode Island 58 3.56 +45%
Nevada 199 3.49 +42%
Georgia 872 3.44 +40%
Florida 1,591 3.36 +37%
Arizona 549 3.36 +37%
South Carolina 339 3.28 +34%
Maryland 388 3.25 +33%
North Carolina 795 3.11 +27%
California 2,821 3.09 +26%
Alabama 327 2.99 +22%
Hawaii 46 2.96 +21%
Virginia 528 2.78 +13%
Arkansas 173 2.73 +11%
Massachusetts 375 2.73 +11%
North Dakota 45 2.64 +7%
New York 1,138 2.63 +7%
Illinois 670 2.62 +7%
Tennessee 470 2.60 +6%
Nebraska 111 2.55 ≈ national
Pennsylvania 677 2.55 ≈ national
Alaska 30 2.52 ≈ national
Michigan 499 2.44 ≈ national
Missouri 322 2.32 -5%
Kansas 156 2.27 -7%
Oklahoma 191 2.16 -12%
Colorado 277 2.15 -13%
Kentucky 214 2.13 -13%
Washington 337 2.06 -16%
Idaho 84 2.05 -16%
West Virginia 67 2.05 -16%
Ohio 528 1.99 -19%
Indiana 313 1.95 -20%
Oregon 147 1.94 -21%
South Dakota 36 1.93 -21%
Wisconsin 222 1.87 -24%
Utah 172 1.80 -27%
Iowa 117 1.70 -31%
New Hampshire 32 1.44 -41%
Minnesota 173 1.41 -43%
Maine 26 1.34 -45%
Montana 18 1.02 -58%
Vermont – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Christian

Christian is a top-100 name for boys in the United States, ranked #96 in 2025 with 3,641 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 473,843 American babies have been named Christian. Its peak came in 1996, when 16,544 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1990s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Christian stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Christian?

The median living Christian is about 24 years old; half are between 16 and 32. An estimated 456 thousand people named Christian are alive in the United States today.

median 24 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Christian year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 27 #4,901 3,641 #96
2024 32 #4,407 4,272 #77
2023 39 #3,851 4,158 #77
2022 50 #3,230 4,486 #73
2021 48 #3,309 4,636 #71
2020 48 #3,234 5,104 #62
2019 72 #2,458 5,781 #57
2018 83 #2,225 6,582 #54
2017 91 #2,115 7,025 #52
2016 104 #1,933 7,674 #46
2015 125 #1,698 8,220 #43
2014 134 #1,606 8,480 #42
2013 135 #1,588 9,352 #35
2012 141 #1,554 9,640 #33
2011 167 #1,376 10,334 #30
2010 157 #1,445 11,110 #29
2009 188 #1,289 12,657 #23
2008 197 #1,266 13,069 #23
2007 217 #1,173 14,063 #22
2006 240 #1,064 14,487 #21
2005 219 #1,088 14,210 #22
2004 304 #822 13,926 #24
2003 299 #822 13,908 #25
2002 310 #773 14,597 #24
2001 400 #625 15,457 #24
2000 452 #577 16,059 #22
1995 738 #356 13,813 #28
1990 863 #316 6,786 #60
1985 538 #414 2,915 #101
1980 358 #528 2,318 #118
1975 197 #738 2,463 #103
1970 195 #755 2,623 #127
1965 36 #1,916 730 #275
1960 18 #2,915 662 #301
1955 10 #3,823 350 #385
1950 9 #3,714 268 #412
1945 5 #4,668 141 #503
1940 – – 99 #598
1935 – – 71 #725
1930 – – 94 #632
1925 – – 105 #612
1920 7 #4,036 143 #508
1915 7 #3,495 151 #445
1910 – – 40 #432
1905 – – 26 #422
1900 – – 35 #377
1895 – – 53 #245
1890 5 #1,367 49 #238
1885 – – 55 #218
1880 – – 43 #253

Famous people named Christian

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Christian Bale Christian Bale English actor (born 1974) Contemporary
  2. 2 Christian Dior Christian Dior French fashion designer (1905–1957) Contemporary
  3. 3 Christian IX of Denmark Christian IX of Denmark King of Denmark from 1863 to 1906 1818–1906 · 19th century
  4. 4 Christian IV of Denmark Christian IV of Denmark King of Denmark and Norway from 1588 to 1648 1577–1648 · 16th century
  5. 5 Christian X of Denmark Christian X of Denmark King of Denmark (1912–1947) and Iceland (1918–1944) 1870–1947 · 19th century
  6. 6 Christian II of Denmark Christian II of Denmark King of Denmark and Norway from 1513 to 1523 1481–1559 · Medieval
  7. 7 Christian I of Denmark Christian I of Denmark Scandinavian monarch under the Kalmar Union (1426–1481) Medieval
  8. 8 Christian III of Denmark Christian III of Denmark King of Denmark from 1534 to 1559 1503–1559 · 16th century
  9. 9 Christian VII of Denmark Christian VII of Denmark King of Denmark and Norway from 1766 to 1808 1749–1808 · 18th century
  10. 10 Christian VIII of Denmark Christian VIII of Denmark King of Denmark from 1839 to 1848 1786–1848 · 18th century
  11. 11 Christian Clavier Christian Clavier French actor and screenwriter (born 1952) Contemporary
  12. 12 Christian Wirth Christian Wirth Nazi German police chief and extermination camp commandant (1885–1944) 19th century
  13. 13 Christian Wolff Christian Wolff German philosopher (1679–1754) 17th century
  14. 14 Christian V of Denmark Christian V of Denmark King of Denmark and Norway from 1670 to 1699 1646–1699 · 17th century
  15. 15 Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst 1690–1747 · 17th century
  16. 16 Christian Doppler Christian Doppler Austrian mathematician and physicist (1803–1853) 19th century
  17. 17 Christian Rakovsky Christian Rakovsky Bulgarian-born Soviet diplomat (1873–1941) 19th century
  18. 18 Christian VI of Denmark Christian VI of Denmark King of Denmark and Norway from 1730 to 1746 1699–1746 · 17th century
  19. 19 Christian Albert, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp Christian Albert, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp Duke of Holstein-Gottorp from 1659 to 1695 1641–1695 · 17th century
  20. 20 Christian Goldbach Christian Goldbach German mathematician (1690–1764) 17th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Christian, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Christian?

The median living Christian is about 24 years old. Half of all living Christians are between 16 and 32 years old.

How many people named Christian are alive today?

An estimated 456 thousand people named Christian are alive in the United States, based on 473,843 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Christian mean?

From Middle English Cristien, from Old French chrestien, from Latin Chrīstiānus, from Ancient Greek Χρῑστιᾱνός (Khrīstiānós), from Χρῑστός (Khrīstós, “Christ, anointed [one]”) + Latin suffix -ānus.

How popular is the name Christian in 2025?

Christian ranked #96 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 3,641 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Christian?

473,843 babies have been named Christian in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Christian most popular?

Christian peaked in 1996, when 16,544 newborns received the name.

Is Christian a boy or girl name?

Christian is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 96% of babies with the name.

Is the name Christian rising or falling?

Christian is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Christian become more popular?

Christian is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 2,946 boys named Christian in 2030, which would rank around #122. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Christian?

Well-known people named Christian include Christian Bale (actor), Christian Dior (fashion designer), Christian IX of Denmark (politician).

Names like Christian

Names that sound and feel close to Christian: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Christian with similar names → More names starting with C →