Chapter LX: Section III: Names from Christos

The Greek verb χρίω (chrio), to touch, rub, or anoint, formed the term Χριστός, which translated the old Hebrew prophetic Messiah (the Anointed), and thence became the title of the Saviour, the very touch-stone of faith.

Therefore it was that at Antioch the disciples came to be called Χρίστιανοι (Christianoi), a Greek word with a Latin termination, the title that they accepted as their highest glory, and which has ever since been the universal and precious designation of a believer. The first person who is known to have been baptized after this title, was St. Christina, a Roman virgin of patrician birth, who was martyred in 295. Her marvellous legend declares that she was thrown into lake Bolsena, with a mill-stone round her neck, but that she floated to the surface, supported by angels, and that she was at last shot to death with arrows. She is therefore, of course, patroness of Bolsena and of the Venetian States, where Cristina is frequent; and her fame travelled to Greece, Bohemia, and Hungary, from which last place the Atheling family brought it to England and Scotland in the person of Christina, Abbess of Romsey. Christian, like the other Greek names of this importation, took deep root in Scotland, where Kirstin is its abbreviation among the peasantry; and Christina, or Stine, and Tine, is common in Germany. John Bunyan’s Christiana, as the feminine of his allegorical Christian, has made this form the most common in England. Christine, either through Germany or Scotland, found its way to Scandinavia, where the contraction is Kirste, or Kirstine. Being vigorous name-makers at the time of their conversion, the Northmen were not content to leave this as a mere lady’s name inherited from the saint, but invented for themselves a masculine Christian, or Christiern as they call it in Denmark, which has belonged to many a sovereign in that kingdom, where it is especially national, and contracts into Kirsten.

Christabel was already a name before Coleridge’s time. It is to be found in Cornwall, in 1727, and in the North of England. It occurs at Crayke, in Yorkshire, between 1538 and 1652.

┌───────────────┬───────────────┬───────────────┬───────────────┐
│ English. │ German. │ French. │ Swedish. │
│Christian │Christian │Chrestien │Kristian │
│ │ │Chrétien │ │
├───────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────┤
│ Danish. │ Netherlands. │ Dantzig. │ Frisian. │
│Christian │Kerstan │Zan │Tsassen │
│ │Karston │ —————— │Tziasso │
│ │Krischân │ Dutch. │Zasso │
│ │Kruschan │Korstiaan │Sasze │
├───────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────┤
│ Swiss. │ Polish. │ Slavonic. │ Illyrian. │
│Krista │Krystyan │Kristijan │Kristian │
│Chresta │ │ │Kersto │
│Chresteli │ │ │Hristo │
├───────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────┤
│ Lusatian. │ Bulgarian. │ Lett. │ Esthonian. │
│Khrystjan │Krustjo │Kristo │Kersti │
│Kristo │ │Skersto │ —————— │
│Kito │ │ │ Hungarian. │
│ │ │ │Kerestel │
├───────────────┴───────────────┴───────────────┴───────────────┤
│ FEMININE. │
├───────────────┬───────────────┬───────────────┬───────────────┤
│ English. │ French. │ German. │ Bulgarian. │
│Christiana │Christine │Christiane │Khrustina │
│Christian │ │Christine │ —————— │
│Christina │ │Stine │ Lithuanian. │
│Chrissie │ │Tine │Krikszte │
│Xina │ │Kristel │ │
├───────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────┤
│ Portuguese. │ Spanish. │ Italian. │ Danish. │
│Christinha │Cristine │Cristina │Karstin │
├───────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────┤
│ Slavonic. │ Lusatian. │ Lett. │ Esthonian. │
│Kristina │Krystla │Kristine │Kirstin │
│Kina │Kita │Kersti │Kirste │
│ │Kitka │Skersten │ │
└───────────────┴───────────────┴───────────────┴───────────────┘

From the same holy title was derived that of Χριστοφόρος (Christ-bearer), claimed by many an early Christian as an expression of his membership, as St. Ignatius on his trial spoke of himself as Θεοφορος. To this title was attached the beautiful allegory of the giant ever in search of the strongest master, whom he found at last in the little child that he bore on his shoulders over the river. Simplicity soon turned the parable into credited fact, and St. Christopher became the object of the most eager veneration, especially as there had been a real martyr so called, and mentioned in the Mozarabic service-book. He was put to death in Lycia, and his relics were supposed to have been at first at Toledo and afterwards at St. Denis. The sight of St. Christopher’s image was thought to be a protection from sickness, earthquake, fire, or flood, for the rest of the day, and it was therefore carved out and painted in huge proportions outside churches and houses, especially in Italy, Spain, and Germany. The cumbrous length is cut down in England into Kit, Kester, and Chris. The modern Greeks shorten Christophoros into Christachi. The two feminine are the German Christophine and English Christophera.

┌───────────────┬───────────────┬───────────────┬───────────────┐
│ English. │ Scotch. │ French. │ Swedish. │
│Christopher │Christopher │Christophe │Kristofer │
│Kester │Christal │ │Kristofel │
│Kit │ │ │ │
│Chris │ │ │ │
├───────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────┤
│ Netherlands. │ German. │ Swiss. │ Italian. │
│Toffel │Christoph │Chrestoffel │Cristoforo │
│Toff │Stoffel │Stoffel │Cristovano │
│ │Stoppel │ │Gristovalo │
├───────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────┤
│ Portuguese. │ Spanish. │ Russian. │ Polish. │
│Christovao │Cristoval │Christofer │Kristof │
│ │ │Christof │ │
├───────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────┤
│ Lusatian. │ Lett. │ Lithuanian. │ │
│Kitto │Kristoppis │Kristuppas │ │
│ │Kristagis │ │ │
└───────────────┴───────────────┴───────────────┴───────────────┘

Christopher was once far more common in England than it is at present. In the list of voters at Durham in the year 1500, there were thirteen Christophers, and in 1813 there were as many as ten. The Germans have also Christophilon, meaning, loved by Christ.[41]

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Footnote 41:

Milman, _Christianity_; Liddell and Scott; Jameson.