Gender: Masculine
Origin: Greek Χριστός Χρήστος
Meaning: “anointed.”
(HREES-tose)

The name actually has pre-Christians origins, but in post-Byzantine Greece has often been associated with Χρίστος (Chrístos), literally meaning “the anointed”, derived from a theological term referring to Jesus as the Messiah. This is where the word Christ comes from. Other sources have suggested that the name actually comes from the Greek, Χρήστος (Chrestos) meaning, “useful.”

Both spellings are used in modern day Greece and are seen as variations of each other. The former is derived from the Greek verb χριω (chrio) “to anoint.”

Christós is used as a designation for Jesus Christ in modern Greek and is actually considered a completely different name from Chrístos, even though they share the same etymology. They are even pronounced differently. The former being emphasized on the last syllable and the latter emphasized on the penultimate syllable.

Currently, Christos is the 494th most popular male name in Germany, (2011).