Kristen

Where the name comes from

• Scandinavian, from Latin and Greek
  Christian
  Latin christianus, from Greek christianos, from Christos, 'the anointed one'
  Kristen is a Scandinavian form of the word and name 'Christian.' The Latin feminine form was Christiana, which became Kristina in Scandinavia. People were using the short form Kristin by about the year 1100, or about 925 years ago. In Scandinavia, Kristen is a man's name and Kristin is a woman's name. In the United States, Kristen became a girl's name. It started as another spelling of Kristin.
• Greek and Hebrew (deep root)
  the anointed one
  Greek Christos, from chriein, 'to anoint'; a translation of Hebrew mashiach, 'messiah'
  The Christ- part of the name goes back to a Greek title for Jesus. That title translated the Hebrew word for 'messiah,' which literally means 'the anointed one.'

Kristen across traditions

• Christian (Scandinavian and wider European). The name says that the person is a Christian. Around 1075, or about 950 years ago, Inge the Elder, the first Christian king of Sweden, named his daughter Kristina. Christina was the name of many early medieval saints. It was also the name of many medieval Swedish queens.
• American naming (1970s to 1990s). Kristin was the more common spelling until 1973, when Kristen took the lead. Both spellings were at their most popular between 1979 and 1982. In those years Mary Crosby played the scheming Kristin Shephard on the TV show 'Dallas.' In 1981, babies named Kristin, Kristen, Kristyn, Kristan, Cristin, Christin or Christen added up to 20,161. Counted as one name, that group ranked 10th. Popularity (SSA): most popular in the 1980s, ranking #38 among US girls for that decade.
• Spanish and Latin American. Cristina is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the same name. It also comes from Latin Christina and the word for Christ. Kristen and Cristina are separate forms of the same Christian name.

Who carried it

• Kristina, daughter of Inge the Elder (Around 1075, about 950 years ago): Daughter of the first Christian king of Sweden. She is an early example of the name in Scandinavia.

Forms in other languages

Kristin, Kristyn, Kristan, Christen, Christin, Cristin, Kristina, Christina, Christiana, Cristina

Kristen in letter-number systems

Hebrew, Greek and other traditions gave every letter a number, and read meaning into the totals. These are the counts, computed; the readings are inside the Innerverse.