Christian

A Christian; a follower of Christ.

Christian is a masculine name from Latin Christianus, meaning “a Christian” or “a follower of Christ”. Its roots lead further back to Greek Christos, “anointed”. That connection explains the religious meaning: Christian refers to a follower of Christ, rather than literally meaning “the anointed one”. The spelling is used in English, German and French, but the sound changes. English commonly has two syllables, KRIS-chən; German separates Chris-ti-an into three, while French has /kʁis.tjɑ̃/, ending in a nasal vowel. If the name will be spoken in more than one language, these different rhythms are part of what you are choosing. To my ear, the full Christian has a composed, classic feel: a crisp opening followed by a gentler ending. Chris, an established short form in English and German, offers a brisker and more informal option. That gives the name room for both the full, flowing form and an everyday short form.

Etymology: From Latin Christianus, “a Christian”, with an earlier Greek connection through Christianos to Christos, “anointed”. “Anointed” explains the root Christos rather than the full name Christian.