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I don't think it'd be very weird for a "cultural Christian" to use the name Christian. At any rate, since we don't name ourselves, it'd only be weird for about 18 years and then it would no longer matter. Except that it'd indicate what his heritage was not. I don't think it's really different from using the name Christina or Kristin or Christopher!

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I'd certainly feel weird using it, even though our heritage is all Christian, because I'm not one and I'd wonder what the heck practicing Christians thought of me naming my kid Christian. I guess if you said you named him after someone, that'd cover it.

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But ... to me, where I am, the word "Christian," when it's applied to things other than people, is sort of a synonym for charitable, humble, goodwilling, or otherwise expressing Christian values. Like, when we say something is "the Christian thing to do." So it works as a name, even if you are only nominally or by-heritage Christian, and don't worship.

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The big question to me would be, would you mind being named Christian, yourself, if you weren't raised in a Christian church? Or even if you were? I wouldn't, but your mileage may vary.
I love the sounds of the name and always have.

This message was edited 1/5/2012, 8:40 PM

I really like Christian. I don't care about the religion etc. I do prefer Kristen though, yes for a boy!

I know a lot of Christian's (as well as Christopher and other biblical names) where the parents had absolutely nothing to do with the church - ever. They simply liked the name.

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I think Christian is so popular as a name and usually shorten to Chris, that no one will even think about the religious connection. Now, maybe in a highly religious town or stranger you meet and talk to about names may think so...but who cares.

Sorry, but I do think it would be really odd to use the name if you're not religious. Being Catholic and using it wouldn't seem weird to me though. I'd tend to avoid this name personally because I feel like it's sooo politically/morally loaded.

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What about Crispin instead?

Er ... last time I looked, Catholics were the original Christians!

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That said, I shouldn't think it matters.

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That said, people may well jump to conclusions, but they can be told to conclude otherwise if they persist! I know a Jewish guy who married a Christine - they're both atheists, but it still causes some surprise. And people get used to it very quickly.

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And won't it be likely to shorten to Chris?

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I've got - or I had - two great-grandmothers named Christiana, which I like but it is rather a mouthful and though I haven't got a religious bone in my body I would have used it gladly as a mn, given enough daughters. I would also have considered Christian as a mn for a son, given enough sons!

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ETA: forgot about combos!

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Christian Alfred
Christian Gregor
Christian Edwin Claude
Christian Alistair Paul
Christian Jeffrey
Christian Wyatt
Christian Sean

This message was edited 1/3/2012, 10:52 PM

My nephew is Christian Alexander. He's almost 5 years old. His parents are Christian but not religious at all. I think to many, it's just a name. It's not something I'd use, however, I do appreciate that it's a nice-sounding name.

I guess I'd be surprised if an atheist or non-Christian used the name Christian. Not shock-and-amazement level surprised, mind you, because it is a common name. But it might just raise my eyebrows a bit, and I'd wonder why they chose a name with such an obvious connotation. That doesn't sound like it really describes your situation, though, so I don't think it would be strange for you to use it. There are probably a ton of Christians out there whose parents have a Christian background but are currently not-practicing.

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Oh, FYI, Catholics are Christians, and there is more than one St. Christian, so Catholics use the name as freely as anyone else.

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Christian Rafferty
Christian Malcolm
Christian Henry

Erm, Catholics are Christians. Christian just means "follower of Christ" and members of all denominations associated with Christ and the New Testament are Christians. Catholics are just a particular group of Christians. You will have been raised in a particular denomination of Christianity too, even if it doesn't feature in your church's name.

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Christian was very popular when I was growing up (along with my own name, Christine, and Kristy, Christina, Christopher, Kirsten, Kirsty and a host of other Kris/Chris etc names). I doubt most of the people using Christian in the 70s and 80s in Australia were using it to honour their faith; it was most likely just part of the trend.

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I wouldn't use it myself but it's a pleasant enough name and no one will blink twice at it.

It's a nice enough name. I have a similar problem with the name Christine. I love it, but it would be ridiculous for me to use it since I'm non-religious.

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Personally, I wouldn't use it unless I were an actively religious person. If it's just a label, then I wouldn't use Christian. It just seems silly to me.

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ETA: I went to school with two boys named Christian, and both of them went by Chris.

This message was edited 1/3/2012, 12:35 PM

Christian is just a name and not a word name in my opinion (maybe because it is used so widely in the whole Western world and just happen to also be a noun in English).
I adore Christian. It was once my favorite name and I still like it a lot though there are other names I would rather use. I think it's most definitely useable even if you're not religious.

I personally find the name highly obnoxious. It's a word name that I just don't get. If it's a noun, then why not name your kid Protestant or Greek Orthodox to further clarify? If it's an adjective, what about using Jewish as a name? It just always sounded really awful to me. It's one of my biggest pet peeve names. I think it is a bit weird to use on a non-Christian child, or if you're not religious, but I guess there are stranger things. I seem to be the only one on the board that thinks this way, though, so go for it if you love it. :P It really doesn't strike me as handsome in any way; as far as pure sound purposes go, it's kind of dull. What about Christopher? Same basic idea, but much less in-your-face.

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Middle names...

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Christian Isaac
Christian Oliver
Christian James
Christian Charles
Christian Ezra
Christian Edward
Christian Thomas
Christian Joseph
Christian Bishop (HA. Just kidding)
Christian Patrick
Christian Sean
Christian Bennett
Christian Robert
Christian Avery
Christian Henry
Christian Paul
Christian Lucas

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I think you should use it if you like it. I love John Christian, and Johann Christian.

I like the name Christian despite being a non-Christian. I don't think it would be weird for non-religious people to use it. Somehow, Christian doesn't seem as overwhelmingly religious as many of the "hip Bible" names that are currently super hot, like Levi or Elijah or even Jacob. It is very handsome, and somehow Christians avoid getting shortened to Chris the way Christophers are. I've never met a Christian that didn't go by Christian-in-full.

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Some combo ideas:

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Christian Atticus
Christian Oliver
Christian Lewis, Christian Louis
Christian Wesley
Christian Conrad
Christian Eric
Christian Dashiell
Christian Lyall
Christian Oscar
Christian Rex