Baptiste

Baptiste is a masculine given name and a surname of French origin. It is the French form connected to Saint John the Baptist through the name Jean-Baptiste. As a given name, Baptiste is most often encountered within compound forms such as Jean-Baptiste, but it also appears independently in some French-speaking communities.

As a surname, Baptiste occurs in France and in regions colonized or influenced by French language and culture, notably Haiti, Louisiana and other parts of the Caribbean and North America. The surname may derive from the given name Jean-Baptiste or from the religious term associated with baptism, reflecting historical Christian naming practices.

In modern usage, Baptiste appears in literature, film and television as both a given name and a surname for fictional characters, as well as a real-world surname. Notable individuals bearing the name come from a range of fields, including sports, the arts and public life in Francophone countries and diasporic communities. See also Jean-Baptiste.