Christian name

noun

1. Also called baptismal name. the name given one at baptism, as distinguished from the family name.
2. a person's first or given name.

Christian name

noun

1. a personal name formally given to Christians at christening

Usage

This word was often loosely used to mean any person's first name as distinct from his or her surname. Nowadays, especially in official documents, alternatives which do not refer to a particular faith, and are therefore more inclusive, are often used: first name , forename and given name

Word History and Origins

Origin of Christian name¹

First recorded in 1540–50

Example Sentences

I could have added a second Christian name in my teenage years, when I was a member of the Roman Catholic church.

From BBC

At the same time there was a "period of streamlining and simplifying the Christian name all over Europe", meaning hundreds of ancient pagan names like Llywarch and Gwalchmai were lost and people were naming their children "safe, biblical names".

From BBC

“What kind of name is Anya, anyway? That’s short for Anna. That’s a Christian name.”

From Literature

Christian Name and Fred Dapp of the Agency hold the listing.

From Los Angeles Times

Stolen children like Juan were baptized and given a Christian name.

From New York Times

Related Words

• given name