Given name & surname · also Latin
Christ
“[the] anointed [one]”
Christ is a surname from Latin, ultimately from Ancient Greek. It is used in English and East Central German.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Christ goes back to a word meaning “[the] anointed [one].”
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Where it comes from
Christ comes from Latin, and ultimately from Ancient Greek.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
How it developed
In East Central German usage, Christ is a diminutive of Christine. In East Central German usage, Christ is a diminutive of Christa.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Christ through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 4,029
- 3,977 boys · 52 girls
- Most popular year
- 1923
- 69 babies
- 2025
- 34
- #3,392 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −5%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 34 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 3,392 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 1.4% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 69 in 1923. In 2025, Florida had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (7). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,742 as a first name in 2020; 6,629 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Christ’s family of names
In East Central German usage, Christ is a diminutive of Christine. In German usage, Christ has a conventional equivalent in the Italian form Cristo. In East Central German usage, Christ is a diminutive of Christa.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Christ has relatives in 11 languages. Lines run from its Ancient Greek roots to each of them.
11 related names in 11 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 5
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 3
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 8
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 5
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Christ
- Christ Inao OulaïIvorian association football playerborn 2006
- Christ Makossofootballerborn 2004
- Christ TshiunzaWelsh rugby union playerborn 2002
- Christ MbondiCameroonian footballerborn 1992
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Christ, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Claude
“one who is lame”
>99% boys
Urban
“city-dweller” · “from the city”
>99% boys
Isidore
“a gift of Isis”
>99% boys
Horace
“the keeper of time”
>99% boys
Chester
“from the camp of the soldiers”
>99% boys
Rufus
“red(-haired )” · “a red-haired man”
>99% boys
Odell
“a sweet melody” · “one who is wealthy”
98% boys · 2% girls
Maurice
“a dark-skinned man; Moorish”
>99% boys