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Glite Dictionary
🚢 To name officially 👶 To baptize
to christen

to christen

5 6.0
To give a Christian name to someone at baptism
  • verb
  • /ˈkrɪsən/
translation icon : bautizar
  • When she was a baby, she was christened with the name Emily.

I had a godparent that had actually christened me and my mother felt very comfortable leaving me with her.

Examples

  • When I was born, I was christened "Zero," when I turned one, I was renamed to "One."

    Syrup (2013)

  • Yes, I think you were christened after your father.

    The Importance of Being Earnest (2002)

  • But we are going to be christened this afternoon.

    Borstal Boy (2001)

  • I was christened in the catholic church.

    Reds (1981)

  • When I arrived on the scene, I was christened Kelly, in honor of this odd coincidence.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • Benjie's children had been christened there.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • Did your mother sneeze when you were christened?

    The Personal History of David Copperfield (2019)

  • He was christened in a small ceremony at a Roman Catholic church in Haylett.

    The Cathedral (2022)

  • His devoutly religious parents had christened him Peter, after the apostolic "Rock" on whose shoulders Jesus hoped that "my church" would be established.

    Academic text (2000)

  • I was christened Mary Coralie Beauvais Staples, and called "Beauvais" for my French ancestors.

    Fiction book (2002)

Synonyms

to baptize
vsto christen
106 4.4

To put water on a person or dip them in water to show they become part of the Christian church

includes giving a Christian name as part of the ceremony

Phrasal Verbs

to christen after
6.8

To give a child a name that honors another person

to christen the new ship
  • Formal
7.0

Give a new ship its name at a ceremony

Surface Forms

christen infinitive
christened past
christened past participle
christening present participle
christens third person singular

Morphology

christen = Christ (transparent) = christ + en

Formed from 'Christ' + the verb-forming suffix '-en' meaning 'make/make into', so the religious sense 'to give a Christian name or baptize' is directly derived.

Etymology

The word christen comes from Christ, a title that means 'anointed' or 'chosen'. Long ago, to christen someone was to give them a Christian name at baptism, so today to christen a baby is to name them in a church ceremony.