Why do we refer to a first name as a "christian name"?

Question:I know a christian name is another term for a first name, or given name, but how did the phrase come into use, and what is the meaning behind it?

Does it have anything to do with Christianity having been the main religion of countries that use this term?

And if you're not religious, is it still a christian name, or just a first name?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I know a christian name is another term for a first name, or given name, but how did the phrase come into use, and what is the meaning behind it?

Does it have anything to do with Christianity having been the main religion of countries that use this term?

And if you're not religious, is it still a christian name, or just a first name?

The history of it goes back to the days before the Reformation when Catholicism was the only Christian religion in Western Europe. A child was given two names at birth, the first was their "Christian name", which identified their patron saint. The second was their family name, which would be used in everyday use. Think of all the Marie-Elisabeth and Jean-Paul names in the European world. St Mary and St Jean would be their patron saints. Their brothers and sisters may also have been named Marie-____ and Jean-____ as well. The second part of the name was the part that was used in every day conversation.

When you trace people through Church records, you'll find that both names are listed in the sacramental register. Over time, and especially after the Reformation when infant baptisms weren't mandatory (and were often prohibited in some religions), then the practice fell out of use. it caused a secondary problem of there being too many Johann Strausses in a given town. So the practice of a second name returned in the Evangelical and Reformed tradition where a person was given two and sometimes three names. We'd use their common name, but often hyphenate it (like Jean-Paul) or use the full name (Johann Sebastian), but most often, we just curtailed it to a nickname (Richard became Dick or another petname) and only used the full name on formal occasions and legal documents.

Christian name refers to the name you have been given after your baptism. It is not as common to hear this anymore, though, considering everyone is not Christian.

In Indian, you are asked "What is your good name?" instead.

More common in the west is "What is your forename?"

It's just a first name, no one really refers to it as a christian name / surname any more, now it's just first, middle, and last names.

I believe it was given the title of christian name around the time that titles actually became last names and records starting needing to be produced (i.e. going from Smith as a reference to blacksmith to just plain Smith as a name in and of itself.)

>> Does it have anything to do with Christianity having been the main religion of countries that use this term?

Yes. Neither Muslims nor Jews call their given names "Chrsitian". Buddhists don't either.

"First name" doesn't work for Chinese and some other Asians, who put the family name first; Chou En-Lai was from the Chou family. His friends called him "En-Lai" and everyone else called him "Mr Chou" or "Minister Chou".

The least ambiguous terms are "given name" and "family name". If you are born into the Hopkins family and your parents decide to name you Perigrine, your name will be Perigrine Hopkins. Perigrine is your given name, because it is the one your parents gave you. Hopkins your family name.

Normally your parents just let the family name ride, although they could, if they wanted to make your life confusing, name you "Mortimer Periwinkle".

Surname is a fancy term for family name that most of us genealogists use.

This christian name is a process which takes place in Catholic church's. They belive that it is important for a child to be named after one of the saints as it symbolises their connection with christ. I never really asked why...but I was given a Christian name "Felicity" and it was chosen by both my parents after their favourate saint!!! That is as far as I was told.