Christened

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To have been given a name as part of a ritual, often involving baptism ; to have been formally given a name or title at an official ceremony, such as the launching of a ship
2. Having received a personal or religious name through a special rite ; having been ceremonially named or inaugurated for a purpose or function
3. Being named through a traditional religious ceremony, usually baptism ; being officially designated or proclaimed by a naming event, commonly used for vessels or projects

Etymology: Anyone who has been christened has, quite literally, been made a Christian in the early English sense of the word: the Old English verb "cristnian" meant "to christen, baptise," and it was formed from "cristen," meaning "Christian." The verb was built by adding the suffix "-nian" to that noun, so the core idea was simply "to make into a Christian" through the rite of baptism. Over time the verb's reach widened well beyond the church font. Because baptism was the moment a person received a name, "to christen" came to mean giving anyone a name or title, and today it is most often used for ceremonies such as naming a ship at its launch, where a bottle is broken against the hull. The past form "christened" simply inherits this history: it is the regular simple past and past participle of "christen," and it carries both the religious sense and the secular one.

Synonyms: baptized, named