I read or heard somewhere that X represents [name]Christ[/name] or something like that.
So I was thinking what it’d be like to list [name]Chris[/name] names as X-names…
[name]Christopher[/name] = Xopher (zoh-fur)
[name]Christina[/name] = Xina (zee-na)
[name]Christian[/name] = Xian (sounds like [name]Shawn[/name]?)
etc.
[name]Do[/name] you think any of these would work for anybody? Boy, girl, character…?
I’m sorry but …how totally stupid…
I wouldn’t do it. In the time of the early Church, when Christians were being persecuted, they used “X” as the sign for Christianity, like a codeword, because the first Greek character for [name]Christ[/name] was “chi”, which looks like an “X”, approximately. X is now used as an abbreviation for [name]Christ[/name], but really only for [name]Christmas[/name] (which turns into Xmas, etc.). I really don’t think Xopher, Xina, and Xian make a good name, although Xian is intriguing, and Xina closely resembles legitimate names, like [name]Xena[/name] and [name]Xenia[/name] (which I really love!). I think Xopher looks interesting, but it reminds me of “gopher” too much to actually use, sorry.
what’s wrong with [name]Jesus[/name]?..Xterminate this dumb idea for a name
I have seen Cristina Aguilera’s name written in tabloids as Xina or maybe it was Xtina. But I think the point there is still to pronounce it Cristina.
Xina looks okay for the reasons Ash outlined. Xian might be a name in a Chinese language? Reminds me of Xan (Zan) from Alexander.
I would advise strongly against it but it would be fine for a character, a character with parents with strange name tastes.
I DO think it would be kind of cool as a unique way to get to nicknames. Christina nn’d Xina (zeena) and Christian nn Xian/Xan are kind of fun to me.
Like ash, not so much a fan of Xopher - too much, and Topher is already pretty cool.
Sorry people have been rude when you were just musing aloud. I wouldn’t use it on a real life child but it could be fun for a character name.
I wouldn’t use it myself, but I kind of like Xopher. It reminds me of [name]Topher[/name] [name]Grace[/name] from That '70’s Show.
I would never do it because most people wouldn’t get the connection of x=christ. They would most likely say Xina as shee-nuh, not [name]Christina[/name]. Now if your doing this for a book or story and the X is symbolic for that reason, then I think it would be cool. I wouldn’t do it on a real life child though.
To answer the original question, no, I don’t think it would work at all. As other posters have stated, the X was used as a symbol for early Christians and at some point it started getting used as an informal way to write [name]Christmas[/name] (and on that note, when I hear people say Xmas out loud, it’s usually pronounced ex-mas).
As for the Xtina thing, again, when said out loud it’s said as ex-tina and the nickname came about when [name]Christina[/name] Aguilera decided that she wanted to ditch her teenie bopper image and started dressing in really skimpy clothes and being very sexually explicit in her songs and videos (This was on her album Stripped). The X in her nickname is to conjure up an X-rated association, it as nothing to do with [name]Christ[/name].
I think that people would just assume you were making up a name. I wouldn’t associate the “X” with the “[name]Christ[/name]” thing at all. As a [name]Christian[/name], the original reason it was used is very symbolic, and it’s actually disappointing to me when people still use it (usually not understanding why).
Well I could see people doing it but I wouldn’t ;). But I am really picky when it comes to names. Really picky :).
I agree with this. A bit surprised by some of these reactions.
I don’t think that any of these names would be advisable for a real person, but they could be fun for a character in the right context. This thread makes me think of when [name]Christina[/name] Aguilera went by “X-[name]Tina[/name].” She still has it tattooed on the back of her neck, if I recall correctly.
Xian looks like a romanization of a Chinese name to me. That’s definitely what I would think if I saw it. I don’t think I’d ever connect it to [name]Christian[/name].
Xian is suddendly one of my GPs. 
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