Head to head · Boys' names
Christian vs Eithan
#96 vs #97 in 2025 · Greek vs Hebrew roots
Christian is a whisker ahead (#96 vs #97 in 2025), but the curves point different ways: Christian is stepping back from its peak, Eithan is climbing the charts fast. On momentum, Eithan has the edge.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
The tale of the tape
On the charts, Christian leads 5 measures of 6; Eithan leads 1.
Ranks, counts and years are measured in the official US birth record; the classroom and living figures are estimates computed from it. The dot marks the side each measure favours on the charts — more common, not better.
What the records say
146 years of US births, drawn on one scale
Two curves, one scale
Who owned which decade
- 1880s: Christian #236, Eithan — — Christian higher
- 1890s: Christian #280, Eithan — — Christian higher
- 1900s: Christian #377, Eithan — — Christian higher
- 1910s: Christian #455, Eithan — — Christian higher
- 1920s: Christian #568, Eithan — — Christian higher
- 1930s: Christian #638, Eithan — — Christian higher
- 1940s: Christian #519, Eithan — — Christian higher
- 1950s: Christian #386, Eithan — — Christian higher
- 1960s: Christian #251, Eithan — — Christian higher
- 1970s: Christian #111, Eithan — — Christian higher
- 1980s: Christian #101, Eithan #6229 — Christian higher
- 1990s: Christian #34, Eithan #6744 — Christian higher
- 2000s: Christian #23, Eithan #3056 — Christian higher
- 2010s: Christian #42, Eithan #1729 — Christian higher
- 2020s: Christian #76, Eithan #486 — Christian higher
Christian stood higher in every recorded decade — 15 of 15.
Rank by decade
| Decade | Christian | Eithan |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | #236 | — |
| 1890s | #280 | — |
| 1900s | #377 | — |
| 1910s | #455 | — |
| 1920s | #568 | — |
| 1930s | #638 | — |
| 1940s | #519 | — |
| 1950s | #386 | — |
| 1960s | #251 | — |
| 1970s | #111 | — |
| 1980s | #101 | #6229 |
| 1990s | #34 | #6744 |
| 2000s | #23 | #3056 |
| 2010s | #42 | #1729 |
| 2020s | #76 | #486 |
Average national rank across each decade. A dash means the name sat outside the recorded top of that decade.
The names themselves
Meaning, roots, sound and the people who carried each
Where each name comes from
Christian
Follower of Christ; a Christian
From Latin Christianus, itself from Greek christianos, built on christos, 'anointed'.
Christos (Greek) → Christianus (Latin) → Christian → Cristiano
How it traveled
The Greek christianos was a label for the early followers of Jesus before it was ever anybody's name. Latin took it up as Christianus, and by the Middle Ages it was being given to children across Germany, Scandinavia and the Low Countries.
Eithan
Firm, enduring, strong — of something that lasts
From the Hebrew adjective eitan (אֵיתָן), used of a stream that never runs dry and, by extension, of anything permanent or steadfast.
Eitan (Hebrew) → Aithan (Greek Septuagint) → Ethan (English Bible) → Eithan
How it traveled
The name is Hebrew, and it reached English readers through scripture rather than through migration: the Greek translators of the Hebrew Bible rendered it Aithan, Latin kept it close, and English Bibles settled on Ethan. Puritan families took biblical names of this kind into everyday use, and Ethan traveled with them to North America.
Where a reading is contested the note says so — this page does not turn a guess into a fact. The chain is each name's recorded forms, oldest first; the story is its opening, told in full on the name's own page.
Out loud, and in short
Christian
KRIS-chun
Two syllables in American English. The Spanish Cristian is three — krees-tee-AHN — and bilingual families often use both without thinking about it.
- Chris — The default short form in English, informal but usable at work; also given as a full name on its own.
- Cris — Common where the Spanish or Portuguese spelling is in the family.
- Kris — Follows the Scandinavian spellings; also stands alone as a given name.
- Christy — Older and less frequent for boys in the US; more often heard in Ireland.
- Also Chrissy.
Eithan
EE-thən
The extra i does not change the English sound — it is said exactly like Ethan, stress on the first syllable, with the soft th of think. In Hebrew the same name is ay-TAHN, with the stress at the end, so bilingual families sometimes use both.
- E — The initial used on its own, informally within families; the full name is short enough that most bearers simply go by it.
- Eitan — The Hebrew form, used as the everyday name in Israeli families and as a given name in its own right.
- Eith — An informal clipping that turns up occasionally; not widely established.
Who has carried each name
Christian
Christian Bale (b. 1974) — The Batman who transforms completely for every role
Christian Dior (b. 1905) — Founded the legendary fashion house
Eithan
No documented entry for Eithan yet.
Source: Wikidata — the one source on this page that is not an official agency.
Is it right for you
The differences that decide it, laid out by what you want
Choose by what you want
Choose Christian if you want…
- a name past its most crowded yearsChristian is stepping back from its peak
- plenty of nickname options5 recorded short forms — Chris, Cris and Kris
- a long American recordChristian was already in use when US records began in 1880
Choose Eithan if you want…
- a name on the way upup 769 places on the charts in five years
- a newer arrivalEithan entered the US charts in 1989
Each line is a measured difference between the two names — a rank, a count, a recorded form — never a judgement of either. Save the one that answers your question; it lands on your shortlist.
The trade-offs, name by name
Christian
Strengths
- One spelling that English speakers write correctly on the first try, with no ambiguity about how to say it.
- Chris is a ready-made short form with centuries of use, so the name has a formal register and a casual one built in.
- Travels almost anywhere: Cristian, Cristiano, Kristian, Christiaan and Krystian are all the same name in other languages.
To consider
- The meaning is completely transparent, and many people will read the name as a statement about faith. Worth deciding whether that is what you want it to say.
- Chris belongs to Christopher too, so a Christian who goes by Chris will often be asked which one he is.
- Cristian and Kristian are common enough that some people will pause before writing it, though Christian is the standard English form.
Eithan
Strengths
- Sounds completely familiar to English speakers while looking distinct on paper — no one will need the pronunciation explained.
- A documented history of about three thousand years, from the Hebrew Bible through Puritan English into modern use.
- Works with little adjustment in English, Spanish, French and Hebrew, which matters in bilingual families.
To consider
- Ethan is the default spelling in American English, so expect Eithan to be spelled back incorrectly on forms, class lists and coffee cups for life.
- The name resists shortening. There is no established nickname the way there is for a William or a Nicholas, so it will mostly be used in full.
- Some readers will try ay- or eye- for that ei before learning otherwise, particularly if they know the Hebrew form.
Documented properties of each name — how it spells, travels and shortens — not opinions about the child.
With your last name
Say both in full. The notes are facts about letters and sound — a rhyme, a shared initial, the monogram — not a verdict on either name.
Type a last name to hear Christian and Eithan in full.
Weighing the whole shortlist? Run the full comparison — up to eight names with your last name, initials, classroom projections and a printable report.
Decide together
Nobody names a baby alone
Still torn between Christian and Eithan?
Put both to the vote.
One link to your partner, your parents, your sister. Each of them gets the two names, a one-tap answer and room to say why — and every reply lands in one place.
Free to start · no account needed · everyone you invite votes in one tap
More than two in the running? Settle it with a bracket or run the full comparison with your last name.
More head-to-heads
Same measures, different pair. Sixty more are dealt daily in the arena.
Lists that carry both names
Every list here names both Christian and Eithan — the same style, ranked by the same records.
Christian or Eithan — the short answers
- Which is more popular, Christian or Eithan?
- Christian, in 2025: Christian ranked #96 with 3,641 babies; Eithan ranked #97 with 3,636 babies.
- Which name is rising faster, Christian or Eithan?
- Eithan. Over the last five years Christian moved down 34 places; Eithan moved up 769 places.
- Which is the older name, Christian or Eithan?
- Christian was already in use when US records began in 1880; Eithan entered the US charts in 1989. On the American record, Christian is the older name.
- How many people are named Christian and Eithan?
- About 436,000 people named Christian are estimated to be alive in the US today. About 8,700 people named Eithan are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- Will there be other Christians or Eithans in the classroom?
- Christian will almost certainly be the only one in school. Eithan will almost certainly be the only one in school.
US figures from the Social Security Administration, 1880–2025. Votes are battle voters on this site, not the birth record. Data & methodology
Keep playing
Sixty more head-to-heads are dealt in the arena every day — or line up Christian, Eithan and the rest of your shortlist with your last name in one printable report.
Free to start · no account needed · everyone you invite votes in one tap