Nearly every Christian cross you'll see in a church, a cemetery or a jewelry case comes down to about ten shapes. Each one points to the same event, the death and resurrection of Jesus, and each adds its own history: a city, a church tradition, a saint, an order of knights. Here are the main types of crosses and their meanings, how to tell them apart, and which ones wear well every day.
✦ In this guide
Types of Christian crosses at a glance
Use this as a quick reference; the stories behind each shape follow. For the long history, Britannica's entry on the cross is a good start.
| Cross | How to spot it | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Latin cross | Tall upright, crossbar set high | The cross of Christ's crucifixion |
| Crucifix | A cross carrying the body of Jesus | The sacrifice itself, made visible |
| Jerusalem cross | One large cross, four small ones | The five wounds of Christ |
| Orthodox cross | Three bars, the lowest slanted | The title, the hands, the footrest |
| Celtic cross | A ring around the center | Irish and Scottish Christian heritage |
| Tau cross | Shaped like a capital T | The mark of the faithful; St. Francis |
| Maltese cross | Eight points, four V-shaped arms | The Knights of St. John |
| St. Benedict cross | A cross set with the St. Benedict medal | Prayer for protection against evil |
| Templar cross | Red cross, arms flaring at the tips | The Knights Templar; red for martyrdom |
| Chi-Rho | A P laid over an X | The first Greek letters of "Christ" |
| Ichthys (bonus) | A simple fish outline | "Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior" |
Cross vs. crucifix: the difference that matters most
A cross is the bare shape. A crucifix is a cross that carries a figure of Jesus, called the corpus (Latin for "body"). That's the whole technical difference.
The crucifix keeps the cost of our salvation in plain view. It's the traditional cross of Catholic and Orthodox Christians, and many Lutherans and Anglicans use it too. At every Catholic Mass there must be a cross with the figure of Christ crucified on or near the altar, as paragraph 117 of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal puts it. In Western churches, altar crosses began carrying the corpus around the 11th century, and by the 14th it was the norm.
Many Protestant churches prefer the empty cross. They read it as a reminder that the tomb is empty too. Both are fully Christian; they simply hold the same story at two different hours, Friday afternoon and Sunday morning.
✝ "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world."
— Galatians 6:14 (KJV)
If you're buying for a Catholic, a crucifix is rarely the wrong call. Our Crucifix Pendant Necklace ($36.00) is a bold stainless steel piece, 45 x 28 mm, big enough that the figure of Christ reads clearly instead of blurring into a shiny lump. If the person belongs to a church that avoids images, pick a plain cross and spare everyone an awkward thank-you.
Types of crosses and their meanings, one by one
Latin cross
This is the cross most Americans picture: a tall upright with a shorter crossbar set above the middle. It's the shape Christian art has given the cross of Jesus for centuries, and it's the default in Western churches. On a chain it says "Christian" and nothing else, which is exactly why so many people choose it.
Jerusalem cross
One large cross with a small cross tucked into each corner. It's also called the Crusader's cross, because it became the emblem of the medieval Kingdom of Jerusalem. The most common reading is the five wounds of Christ: hands, feet and side. Others see Christ at the center with the four Gospel writers around Him, or the Gospel going out to the four corners of the earth.
Today it's the insignia of the Franciscan friars who care for the holy places in the Holy Land, so pilgrims often bring one home. Our Jerusalem Cross Necklace ($39.00) suits someone who has made that trip, or who keeps meaning to.
Orthodox three-bar cross
The three-bar cross belongs to the Eastern churches. It has been used in Russia since the 16th century and is the symbol of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Each bar has a job. The short top bar is the sign Pilate had placed over Jesus' head (John 19:19). The long middle bar holds His hands. The slanted bottom bar is the footrest.
The slant tells a story. By tradition it rises toward the thief who repented and was promised paradise (Luke 23:43), and it drops toward the one who mocked. It's a whole sermon in one tilted line. Give our Orthodox Cross Necklace ($36.00) to an Orthodox or Byzantine Catholic friend and you'll show you know their tradition, not just their religion.
Celtic cross
A Celtic cross is a Latin cross with a ring around the spot where the arms meet. The great carved stone high crosses of Ireland and Scotland go back to roughly the 9th century, and early examples survive at Ahenny in Ireland and on the island of Iona. A popular story credits St. Patrick with the design, but no crosses survive from his time to back it up.
Scholars still argue about the ring: a brace carried over from wooden crosses, a halo, a sign of eternity. Most people who wear one today are honoring Irish or Scottish roots, and that's reason enough.
Tau cross
The Tau is shaped like a capital T, with no arm above the crossbar. Tau is the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and tradition links it to the mark set on the foreheads of the faithful in Ezekiel 9:4. Pope Innocent III preached on that verse when he opened the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215, and St. Francis of Assisi adopted the sign so fully that he signed his letters with it instead of his name. A plain wooden Tau on a cord is still the classic Franciscan gift.
Crosses of saints and knights: Maltese, St. Benedict and Templar
Maltese cross
Eight points, formed by four arrowhead-shaped arms meeting at the center. It belongs to the Knights Hospitaller, the Order of St. John, which still exists today as the Order of Malta. A popular reading ties the eight points to the eight Beatitudes in Matthew 5. Many fire department badges borrow a similar shape.
St. Benedict cross
This is a cross, often Maltese-shaped or a crucifix, set with the St. Benedict medal. The back of the medal already carries a cross lettered with short prayers against evil, so the two belong together. We've written a full guide to what every letter on the St. Benedict medal means.
The Saint Benedict Cross Pendant Necklace ($39.00) pairs a gold Maltese shape with the medal. One gentle reminder: it's a prayer you wear, not a lucky charm. Any protection comes from God, never from the metal.
Templar cross
The Knights Templar formed around 1119 to protect pilgrims on the roads to Jerusalem. Tradition says Pope Eugene III granted them a red cross for their white mantles in 1147, the red standing for martyrdom.
Artists usually draw it as a cross pattée, with arms that flare toward the tips. The order was dissolved in 1312, and an astonishing amount of nonsense has been written about it since. Wear it for the real history, which is why it shows up so often in Christian gifts for men.
Older signs: the Chi-Rho and the Ichthys fish
Early Christians also marked their faith with letters and pictures. Two of those signs are still everywhere.
Chi-Rho
The Chi-Rho looks like a P laid over an X. Those are really the Greek letters chi and rho, the first two letters of Christos, "Christ." The emperor Constantine made it famous by placing it on his battle standard, the labarum, in the years after his victory at the Milvian Bridge in 312. You'll still find it embroidered on vestments and carved into altars.
Ichthys, the Christian fish
Ichthys is Greek for "fish," and its letters spell a one-line creed: Iesous Christos Theou Yios Soter, "Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior." It shows up in Christian art from the 2nd century, including the Roman catacombs of Priscilla and St. Sebastian. The story of believers secretly sketching half a fish in the dust to find each other is charming, but early sources never mention it. The fish doesn't need a secret to be worth wearing.
How to choose a cross you'll actually wear
The meaning matters, but so does the clasp. A cross that pinches or tangles ends up in a drawer, and a cross in a drawer preaches to no one.
Start with the person, then the shape. A three-bar cross for an Orthodox friend, a Jerusalem cross for a pilgrim, a Tau for someone who loves St. Francis. A crucifix for a Catholic who prays the Rosary. And a small Latin cross for anyone at all, which makes it the safe pick when you're unsure.
✓ Quick checklist
- ✓ Size: for daily wear, a pendant around 3/4 inch to 1 inch sits flat and stays out of the way.
- ✓ Chain: 18 inches lands at the collarbone on most women; 20 to 24 inches suits most men.
- ✓ Detail: a crucifix needs some size, or the figure of Christ turns into a blur.
- ✓ Tradition: match the shape to the wearer's church, not only to your taste.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a cross and a crucifix?
A cross is the bare shape; a crucifix shows the body of Jesus on it. Catholics, Orthodox Christians and many Lutherans and Anglicans use crucifixes to keep Christ's sacrifice in view. Many Protestant churches prefer the empty cross as a sign of the Resurrection. Both are fully Christian.
What does a sideways cross mean?
A sideways cross is a modern jewelry design, not a separate religious symbol. Turning the cross on its side lets it lie flat along a fine chain or bracelet, which is why it's popular for layering. It carries the same meaning as any cross. Some wearers simply like that it feels less formal.
Is the Celtic cross a pagan symbol?
No. The Celtic cross is a Christian cross, carved on church grounds in Ireland and Scotland from around the 9th century. Some people claim the ring came from a pagan sun symbol, but that idea is disputed and unproven. For most wearers today, it's a sign of faith and of Irish or Scottish family roots.
Every one of these shapes began as an instrument of execution and became a sign of hope. That reversal is the Gospel in a single image. Choose the shape that fits their story, and it won't stay in the box.
