Meaning: Its source is Christianus, a Latin name meaning "One who follows Christ."

Languages: This boy's name is used in Danish.

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

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

Nicknames: Kris, Kristie and Kristy

Alternative Spellings: Khristen, Khristin, Khrysten, Kristan, Kristin, Kriston, Kristyn, Krystan, Krysten, Krystin, Krystn and Krystyn

Source Forms: Christiana

Popularity: The name Kristen ranked 178th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of 2000-2003 Social Security Administration statistics, 194th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census and 53rd in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1994 US Census.

This name is highly rated both on the 1990 U.S. Census list and in state data recording the most popular baby names.

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.