The word "Christ" comes from the Greek translation of the Hebrew Messiah, which means
"anointed." Messiah comes from the Hebrew verb, mashah which means "to anoint, smear with oil, pour oil over someone")
It became the name proper to Jesus only because He accomplished perfectly the divine mission that "Christ" signifies. In effect, in Israel those consecrated to God for a mission that He gave were anointed in His name. This was the case for kings, for priests and, in rare instances, for prophets. This had to be the case all the more so for the Messiah whom God would send to inaugurate His kingdom definitively. It was necessary that the Messiah be anointed by the Spirit of the Lord at once as king and priest, and also as prophet. Jesus fulfilled the messianic hope of Israel in His threefold office of priest, prophet and king. He was the one "who was to come," the object of "the hope of Israel."

See also Messiah.