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

Languages: This girl's name is used in Swedish and Danish.

Nicknames: Kjersti

Popularity: The name Kerstin ranked 3212th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

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.