Total births
11,521
Unisex name · since 1910
Christen
11,521 babies named Christen in U.S. Social Security records since 1910, with the highest year being 1982. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #10334
- among girls today
- 11,521
- born since 1910
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 42%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Christen is the #10334 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 11,521 recorded since 1910.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Christen has been recorded 11,521 times among girls since 1910, currently ranked #10334 nationally and more common than 42% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1980s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1910 to 2025.
- #10334 among girls today
- 11,521 born since 1910
- 1980s peak decade
- 42% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Christen is currently the #10334 unisex name in America, more common than 42% of girls - 11,521 born since 1910, peaking in the 1980s.
- #10334
- among girls today
- 11,521
- born since 1910
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 42%
- more common than other girls
Christen vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#10334
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 42% of names given to girls today.
1980s
Peak decade
41% of everyone ever named Christen was born in this single decade.
1982
Single peak year
569 babies were named Christen in 1982 - its busiest year on record.
How Christen compares
11,521 Top 8% higher than 92% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Christen's all-time total is 30x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Christen | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 11,521 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 569 | 48 | 19,840 |
Christen's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Christen's SSA record in two at 1973 and the more recent half accounts for 88% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 12%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1910, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1982 peak of 569, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Christen at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1982
Current rank
#10,334
Active since
1910
Christen popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1910–2025
- Peak year (1982)
- 569
- Annual births at peak, across 116 years of records
Christen popularity over time - boys
2,185 total births recorded since 1916 (Christen as boys' name)
Christen by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Christen's strongest decade.
4,749 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 41% of all-time use.
Christen births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 76
1910s
76 births
- 1920s 143
1920s
143 births
- 1930s 71
1930s
71 births
- 1940s 43
1940s
43 births
- 1950s 96
1950s
96 births
- 1960s 510
1960s
510 births
- 1970s 1,824
1970s
1,824 births
- 1980s
1980s
4,749 births
- 1990s
1990s
2,739 births
- 2000s 899
2000s
899 births
- 2010s 303
2010s
303 births
- 2020s 68
2020s
68 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 4,749 births (41% of all-time use).
How Christen compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Christen's total volume
Christen vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Christen by state
Where Christen concentrates geographically, total births since 1910
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 953 | 8.3% |
| #2 | California | | 903 | 7.8% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 524 | 4.5% |
| #4 | Florida | | 517 | 4.5% |
| #5 | New York | | 459 | 4.0% |
| #6 | Georgia | | 426 | 3.7% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 403 | 3.5% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 373 | 3.2% |
Texas share of Christen's total US births 8.3%
Even split
953 of 11,521 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 38 reporting states.
Christen appears in 38 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Christen? ▼
Christen has been given to 11,521 babies in the U.S. since 1910, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #10334 as of the latest data. 569 babies were born in 1982, its single highest year.
When was Christen most popular? ▼
Christen was most popular in the 1980s decade with 4,749 total births. The single peak year was 1982.
Where is Christen most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Christen are Texas (953 births), California (903 births), Ohio (524 births).
Is Christen a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Christen is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 11,521 births, and as a boy's name it has 2,185 births.
How long has the name Christen been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Christen since 1910 -- 116 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Christen? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Christine, Christina, Christy, Christie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Christen's data
- Christen's decade-level peak was the 1980s (4,749 total births); usage has since declined to 68 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Christens (953 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Christen
Nearby Names Like Christen
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Christen
Christine Girl
#1196 586,465 births
Christina Girl
#704 479,718 births
Christy Girl
#3464 98,576 births
Christie Girl
#4569 46,013 births
Christa Girl
#7287 32,843 births
Compare Christen side by side: Christen vs Christine Christen vs Christina Christen vs Christy
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Christen
Dominica #10333
2,338 births · Peak 1979
Rubina #10335
638 births · Peak 1983
Audria #10332
1,331 births · Peak 1967
Janett #10336
3,542 births · Peak 1991
Rosanne #10331
14,747 births · Peak 1954
Deva #10337
964 births · Peak 1971
Olimpia #10330
420 births · Peak 1990
Jacob #10338
2,305 births · Peak 2004
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1910–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Christen: #10334 Unisex Name - 11,521 Births, Peak 1982." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/christen. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Christen draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.