Given name & surname
Christopher
“one who bears Christ inside”
Christopher is used as a given name and a surname. One Greek interpretation is “one who bears Christ inside.”
Original GreekΧριστόφορος
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Greek interpretation is “one who bears Christ inside.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Greek.
How it developed
In Cebuano usage, Christopher developed from the Ancient Greek form Χριστόφορος.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Christopher through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,079,103
- 2,069,596 boys · 9,507 girls
- Most popular year
- 1984
- 60,411 babies
- 2025
- 4,748
- #68 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −30%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 4,748 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 68 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 30.3% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 60,021 in 1984. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (649). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,499,872 as a first name in 2020; 25,312 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Christopher’s family of names
In English usage, Christopher has a diminutive in Chris. Christopher shares a linguistic root with Christophe. In English usage, Christopher has a related form in Kristopher.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Christopher has relatives in 78 languages. Lines run from its Ancient Greek roots to each of them.
Ancient Greekwhere Christopher comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 44
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Chrisdiminutive · English
- Kitdiminutive · English
- Kristophervariant · English
- Cristophervariant · Portuguese
- Cristobalvariant · Spanish
- Cristofervariant
- Kittpet form · English
- Krisdiminutive · English
Show 36 moreShow fewer
- Christydiminutive · English
- Chipdiminutive · English
- Christofervariant
- Crisclipped form · English
- Christiediminutive · English
- Christophvariant · German, bar
- Cristopet form
- Kristoffervariant · Swedish, Norwegian
- Topherclipped form · English
- Cristovalvariant
- Cchristopherlikely variant
- Christophorvariant · English
- Christofvariant · German
- Christoffervariant · Swedish, Danish
- Kristoshort form · Estonian
- Kesterdiminutive · English
- Christophevariant · French
- Chrristopherlikely variant
- Christoppherlikely variant
- Christopherrlikely variant
- Chrisstopherlikely variant
- Christophanusvariant · Latin
- Christopherusvariant · Latin
- Xophervariant · English
- Chrissodiminutive · English
- Kistershort form · English
- Toperclipped form · ceb
- Topediminutive · ceb
- Christophorusvariant · Latin, Afrikaans
- Christoforvariant
- Cristovanovariant
- Cristoforovariant · Italian
- Christophorosvariant
- Christoforusvariant
- Christoforovariant
- Stoffelpet form
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 96
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Χριστόφοροςroot · Greek, Ancient Greek
- ΧρήστοςGreek
- Kristoferalso known as · Malay, Indonesian
- Khristopherequivalent
- Cristderivative · English
- Krzysztofcognate · Polish
- Kitsonpatronymic from · English
- CristofferWelsh
Show 52 moreShow fewer
- KristofTurkish, Dutch
- KristobalTagalog, Basque
- KristoforSerbo-Croatian
- KristupasLithuanian
- KristolBreton
- Χριστοφήςequivalent
- Khristoforequivalent
- Κρίστοφερequivalent
- Christovequivalent
- Christophisequivalent
- Gillechrìosdequivalent
- Krzysztoforequivalent
- كريستوفرequivalent
- Cristofeequivalent
- КристоферRussian, Macedonian
- CrístoferSpanish
- Cristóbalcognate · Spanish
- Stopherpatronymic from · English
- Cristóforodoublet · Portuguese
- Cristóvãodoublet · Portuguese
- Kristapscognate · Latvian
- Ristocognate · Finnish
- Kryštofcognate · Czech, Slovak
- Crisdeanequivalent
- Քրիստափորequivalent
- KulisitofāTongan
- Kelihitofātkl
- คริสโตเฟอร์Thai
- கிரிஸ்டோபர்Tamil
- KristofaSwahili
- KrištofSlovene
- CristòfuruSicilian
- KrstoSerbo-Croatian
- Gille ChrìostScottish Gaelic
- GillechrìostScottish Gaelic
- CrìsdeanScottish Gaelic
- KerisitofāSamoan
- Кри́стоферRussian
- Христофо́рRussian
- Христофоръcu
- CristòfaOccitan
- CristofòriOccitan
- CristòuOccitan
- CristòlOccitan
- CristofreMiddle English
- क्रिस्टोफरMarathi
- KarihitopaMāori
- ĦamalluMaltese
- KristofruMaltese
- KristofraMalagasy
- KristoforasLithuanian
- ChristoffaLigurian
And 36 more.
See also 2
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Christopher
- Christopher ColumbusItalian navigator, explorer, and colonist (1451–1506)
- Chris PrattAmerican actor (born 1979)
- Chris PineAmerican actor (born 1980)
- Christopher LeeEnglish actor and singer (1922–2015)
- Christopher NolanEnglish and American filmmaker (born 1970)
- Christopher MarloweEnglish dramatist, poet and translator (1564–1593)
- Chris EvansAmerican actor (born 1981)
- Chris HemsworthAustralian actor (born 1983)
- Christopher WrenEnglish architect (1632–1723)
Characters named Christopher: Christopher Pike (the Star Trek franchise), Christopher Robin (fictional character created by A. A. Milne), Chris Taub (House), Chris Halliwell (Charmed).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
- Saint legends obscuring historical evidence
- Saints' names
- Went by Middle Names
- Christopher variants
- Stylistic traditional masculine names
- Most Popular Names of the 1980s
- Most Popular Names of the 1970s
- Most popular names in 2000
- Most popular names in the 1980s
- Explorers
- C Names
- Top Twins Names of 2006
- Most Popular Names of 2006
- Most Popular Names of 2005
- Most Popular Names of 2004
- Most Popular Names of 2003
- Most Popular Names of 2002
- Most Popular Names of 2001
- Most Popular Names of 2000
- Activists
- Names That Are Candidates for Nicknames
- Sailors
- Most Popular Names of the 1990s
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If you love Christopher, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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