Kriton as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Kriton

What is the meaning of the name Kriton ?

The baby name Kriton is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced KREE-ton (KRIH-ton).

Kriton is Greek in Origin.

From Ancient Greek Κρίτων (Krítōn), the name derives from the verb κρίνω (krínō) “to judge, decide,” yielding the sense “the judge,” “decider,” or “one who discerns.” Known in the classical world, it is best recognized through Kriton of Alopece, the loyal friend of Socrates and the eponym of Plato’s dialogue Crito. The name’s form with –ōn marks many learned masculine names of antiquity.

Use persisted, though sporadically, in Hellenistic and Byzantine records and survives into modern Greek on a modest scale, especially in Greece and Cyprus. Today it remains rare internationally but familiar in scholarly and literary contexts. Established variants include the Latinized Crito and Criton, and the modern Greek Kritonas (Κρίτωνας), which is often the everyday form; all reflect the same etymology. Related concepts appear in words like critic and criterion, underscoring the name’s core themes of judgment, discernment, and sound decision-making.

⚙ Kriton is a rare name. There are only 19 recorded uses of it in our data, from 4 countries.