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In Scandinavia, where these names originated, Kristen was originally the male form and Kristin was the female form. Kristen was originally the Danish and Norwegian form of the male name Christian, while Kristin was a form of the female name Kristina.

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These names only became considered spelling variations of the same girls' name when they moved to North America. It was Americans who started naming girls Kristen, and any parents who named sons Kristen were simply using what was originally the male form of the name.