# christen

> English word · Verb · IPA /ˈkɹɪsən/ · frequency rank #45,272

## Definitions
1. To perform the religious rite of baptism upon; to baptize.
2. To name.
3. To Christianize.
4. To use for the first time.
5. To douse or wet with blood, urine, tears, or other liquid.

## Etymology
From Middle English cristenen, cristnien, from Old English cristnian (“to christen, baptise”), from cristen (“Christen, Christian”) + -nian. Cognate with Saterland Frisian kristenje (“to christen”), Dutch kerstenen (“to christen”), Middle Low German kristenen, kerstenen, karstenen (“to christen”), Danish kristne (“to christen”), Swedish kristna (“to christen”), Icelandic kristna (“to christen”). By surface analysis, Christ + -en.

## Easily confused with
- **Christy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/christen-vs-christy)
- **Christie** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/christen-vs-christie)
- **Christian** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/christen-vs-christian)
- **Christine** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/christen-vs-christine)
- **Christina** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/christen-vs-christina)
- **Christ** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/christ-vs-christen)
- **Christa** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/christa-vs-christen)

## Common misspellings (13)
`cchristen`, `chhristen`, `chirsten`, `chrisetn`, `chrissten`, `christenn`, `christne`, `christten`, `chritsen`, `chrristen`, `chrsiten`, `crhisten`, `hcristen`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/christen