Crist
A surname usually taken from the medieval form of the name Christ, though some lines may also reflect continental spellings or related forms.
The #3,401 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 29,354 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Crist is generally understood as a medieval surname from the personal name Christ, used in forms found in Middle English and older records. The spelling reflects the native English form Crist rather than the Latinized Christ, and some early examples may overlap with related continental spellings such as Greest or Crest. In a few cases, the surname may also be connected with devotional or nicknamed usage rather than a straightforward hereditary family name.
History
Early records in English sources show Crist as an old surname form, and related spellings appear in medieval rolls and county lists. Some dictionary notes connect it with forms like Cristendom or with variant spellings that were later normalized differently, which suggests a somewhat fluid medieval surname history. The name survives today in the US, though it is relatively uncommon.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Medieval scribes often wrote Crist where later English spelling would use Christ, so the surname can preserve an older, more native-looking form of the word.
From the historical record
“And thorugh miracles, as men now rede, Al tliat marehe he tornede To Crist and to cristendom; — Piers Plowman, 10513-17. March, Cambs, had the same spelling in the 13th cent.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)