Meaning: Its source is Christianus, a Latin name meaning "One who follows Christ."

Languages: This boy's name is used in German, English, French and Danish.

Nicknames: Chris, Christie, Kit, Kris and Kitt

Alternative Spellings: Chriztian

Variant Forms: Kristiaan

Non-English Forms: Christiaan, Karsten, Kresten, Kristen, Cristián, Cristiano, Kristián, Krystyn, Susaidasan and Kristian

Source Forms: Christianus

Popularity: The name Christian ranked 24th in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of 2000-2003 Social Security Administration statistics, 236th in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census and 28th in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of the 1994 US Census.

This name was popular earlier in the 20th century, then fell off in usage, but has begun making a comeback in recent years.

Meaning: Its source is Christiana, a Latin name meaning "Christ's follower."

Nicknames: Chris

Compound Forms:

Alternative Spellings: Christiaan, Khristian and Kristian

Variant Forms: Kristien and Kristienne

Non-English Forms: Karsten

Source Forms: Christiana

Popularity: The name Christian ranked 708th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of 2000-2003 Social Security Administration statistics and 903rd in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

Though this name has fluctuated in use, it has been quietly present throughout the last century.

Narrative: The influence of religion on names is evident throughout the world. For example, it is a tenet of Islam that the best names either refer to attributes of Allah or are derived from hamida, an Arabic word meaning ''praise.'' Names used on the Indian subcontinent often refer to the deities of Hinduism.

Though Christiana's direct refererence to Christianity is exceptional, names with ties to the West's predominant religion are far from unusual. Many Hebrew-derived names reflect Christianity's Jewish heritage. Greek- and Latin-derived names witness the church's early development in the Mediterranean basin. Finally, many Germanic and Gaelic names honor saints who spread Christianity throughout northern Europe.