2000
#597
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 51,177
First available Census row
Per 100,000 18.97
Uncommon Last name
Christian
A surname derived from the religion, indicating the original bearer was a Christian or had Christian attributes.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 58,407 Americans carry the last name Christian. That puts it at #651 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 17.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 5,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Christian surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Christian with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
58K
1 in 5,868
Census rank
#651
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
17.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
51K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 50,934 bearers of the surname Christian in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 17.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 651st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Christian, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.9%. The next largest groups are Black (24.5%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Christian
The surname Christian has its origins in medieval England, tracing back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "cristen" and "cristien," meaning "Christian" or "follower of Christ." These terms were commonly used as personal names during that era.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname Christian dates back to 1176, when a person named Richard Cristien was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire. Other early records include a Johannes Cristian listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of Sussex in 1209, and a Robert Cristien recorded in the Feet of Fines of Essex in 1240.
The Christian surname is believed to have originated in various regions of England, including Lincolnshire, Sussex, and Essex, where it was initially adopted by individuals with the given name Christian or those associated with Christian religious institutions.
In the famous Domesday Book of 1086, several entries mention individuals with the given name "Cristien" or "Cristiane," indicating the name's prevalence in Norman England. However, the use of Christian as a surname did not become widespread until the 12th and 13th centuries.
Notable historical figures with the surname Christian include Sir Robert Christian (c. 1577-1633), an English lawyer and Member of Parliament during the reign of King James I. Another prominent bearer of the name was Edward Christian (1758-1823), a British-American lawyer and author who served as the Attorney General of Virginia.
Other individuals of note include John Christian (1786-1863), an English naval officer and explorer who served in the British Royal Navy and made significant contributions to the mapping of Australia's coastline. Additionally, Fletcher Christian (1764-1793) was a prominent figure in the mutiny on the HMS Bounty, leading a group of mutineers against Captain William Bligh in 1789.
During the medieval period, variations in spelling were common, and the Christian surname appeared in forms such as Cristian, Cristien, Cristiene, and Cristyen, reflecting the regional dialects and scribal practices of the time.
While the surname Christian has maintained its strong presence in England, it has also spread to other parts of the world, particularly through immigration and exploration. Today, it is found in various countries, reflecting the global reach of this historically significant name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Christian
Among Census respondents with the surname Christian, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.9%. The next largest groups are Black (24.5%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Christian bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Christian surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White62.9% · 32,019
- Black or African American24.5% · 12,454
- Two or more races4.7% · 2,374
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 2,152
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.2% · 1,633
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 302
Timeline
Historical Census data for Christian
Christian appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#626
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 54,198
+3,021 bearers (+5.9%)
Per 100,000 18.37
Rank movement Down 29 places
2020
#651
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 50,934
-3,264 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 17.04
Rank movement Down 25 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #597 | 51,177 | 18.97 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #626 | 54,198 | 18.37 | +3,021 bearers (+5.9%) | Down 29 places |
| 2020 | #651 | 50,934 | 17.04 | -3,264 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 25 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Christian surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #626 | #651 | -4.0% |
| Count | 54,198 | 50,934 | -6.0% |
| Per 100K | 18.37 | 17.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Christian bearers went from 54,198 to 50,934 (-6.0% change). The surname moved down 25 positions in the national ranking, going from #626 to #651.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Christian
FAQ
Christian surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Christian?
Name Census estimates that about 58,407 living Americans carry the surname Christian. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 5,868 residents.
How common is Christian?
Christian ranks #651 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 17.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 17 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 50,934 people with the surname Christian. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (58,407), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 17.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 17.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 17 of them to have the surname Christian.
Has Christian become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Christian went from 54,198 recorded bearers to 50,934. That is a decrease of 3,264 (-6.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #626 to #651.
What does the Census say about the background of Christian?
Among Census respondents with the surname Christian, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.9%. The next largest groups are Black (24.5%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Christian in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.9% (32,019 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Christian appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (62.9%), Black (24.5%), Two or More Races (4.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Christian (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Christian mean?
A surname derived from the religion, indicating the original bearer was a Christian or had Christian attributes. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Christian (17.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Christian?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Christian, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.