Crispin

Today's name: Crispin (male)
Alternate spelling: Krispin

Variant forms: Crespin, Crispian, Crispino, Crispo, Crispus, Crisspin, Crespin, Crispinian, Crispianus, Crispinus, Crispen, Crispanius

Potential nicknames: Cris, Crisp, Spin

Pronunciation: KRIS-pin

Origin: Latin, meaning "curly-haired." It comes from the Latin crispinus, derived from an old Roman family name Crispus.

History lesson: (1) Saint Crispin is the patron saint of shoemakers. St. Crispin's Day falls on October 25. (2) Crispin and Crispinian were Roman twins who were martyred in c.286 for preaching Christianity in Gaul. With Vatican II they were removed from the liturgical calendar based on a lack of credibility. (3) Crispin the monk, who lived in Viterbo, Italy, was cannonized in 1982. (4) In Shakespeare's Henry V, the king gives a memorable, motivating speech on St. Crispin's Day. (Crispin Glover is named for this speech.)

Popularity: According to the Social Security Administration this name has never reached a top 1000 popularity status, and only 24 boys were given the name in 2009, then 21 in 2011.

Fun fact: (1) There are two famous actors named Crispin -- Crispin Glover and Crispin Bonham-Carter, and one famous voice-over actor named Crispin Freeman. In speculation, this rare name could lead to being famous. (2) The "Crispin Apple" is a relative of the Golden Delicious apple.

Female form: Crispina


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