Given name & surname
Christen
“follower of Christ”
Christen is a variant of Christina. One English interpretation is “follower of Christ.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Christen is a variant of Christina. One English interpretation is “follower of Christ.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Christen is a variant of Christina. Christina has been associated with Latin and Middle English naming traditions.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1910. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Christen through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 13,706
- 2,185 boys · 11,521 girls
- Most popular year
- 1982
- 601 babies
- 2025
- 20
- #7,775 for boys · #9,591 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −47%
- Cooling
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 49% boys.
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 10 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 9,591 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 56.8% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 569 in 1982. It also appeared in 10 birth records for boys in 2025. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 12,249 as a first name in 2020; 3,104 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.
Christen’s family of names
Christen has a surname derivative in CHRISTENSEN. Christen has a related form in Christina. In Danish usage, Christen has a related form in Christian.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Christen has relatives in 4 languages.
7 related names in 4 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 4
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
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.
People named Christen
- Christen PressAmerican soccer playerborn 1988
- Christen KøbkeDanish artist (1810-1848)
- Christen C. RaunkiærDanish scientist (1860–1938)
- Christen Andreas FonnesbechDanish politician (1817-1880)
- Christen Sørensen LongomontanusDanish astronomer1562–1647
- Christen DalsgaardDanish painter (1824-1907)
- Christen SmithNorwegian botanist (1785-1816)
- Christen Mikkelsen KoldDanish teacher (1816–1870)
- Chris DudleyAmerican basketball player (born 1965)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Christen, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Christin
“follower of Christ”
28% boys · 72% girls
Farren
“one who is adventurous; an explorer”
29% boys · 71% girls
Jihan
“champion”
52% boys · 48% girls
Chi
“surrounded by light” · “life energy”
37% boys · 63% girls
Lorien
29% boys · 71% girls
Lean
Lean is a surname with more than one origin.
70% boys · 30% girls
Kellyn
“a slender, beautiful, and powerful woman” · “one who is slender”
30% boys · 70% girls
Dusty
“a brave fighter; from a dusty place”
71% boys · 29% girls