Meaning: Its source is Kristophoros, a Greek name meaning "Christ carrier."

Origin: "Kristophoros."

Nickname For: Christian and Christopher

Narrative: According to Christian legend, St. Christopher carried the child Jesus across a river on his shoulders. This legend may have evolved from the name itself.

Some authorities intepret its meaning as ''Christ within'' -- that is, carried within the heart of the believer.

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

Origin: "Christiana."

Languages: This girl's name is used in English.

Nickname For: Christina and Christine

Popularity: The name Christie ranked 431st in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

This name makes a strong showing in state popularity data of the 1970s, but makes few (if any) appearances on lists compiled after that period.

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.