boy's name
Christophe
krees-TOF
- Origin French
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 10
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 383,600
Scotland
#267
1979 births
Christophe is a boy's name meaning bearer of Christ, and the legend behind it explains the saint who carries travelers across a river on his shoulders. It charts in exactly one of our six markets — France, at 1352nd.
- Christophe is a name of French origin.
- Peaked in France in 1969, when 22,635 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 23,580 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1900.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Christophe over time
Births per decade in France, 1900s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 505 |
| 1910s | 510 |
| 1920s | 690 |
| 1930s | 865 |
| 1940s | 1,040 |
| 1950s | 8,485 |
| 1960s | 130,185 |
| 1970s | 162,860 |
| 1980s | 56,230 |
| 1990s | 11,610 |
| 2000s | 2,380 |
| 2010s | 545 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 165 |
What Christophe means
Christophe means bearing Christ, or Christ-bearer. The Greek joins the name of Christ to a verb meaning to carry, and early Christians read it as carrying Christ in the heart rather than physically.
Where Christophe comes from
Christophe is the French form of the Greek Christophoros — Christos joined to pherein, to carry. Early Christians understood it spiritually, as bearing Christ within oneself, and the famous legend came later to explain the literal reading: a giant who ferried travelers across a river carried a child who grew unbearably heavy, and was told he had borne the weight of the world and its maker. That made Christopher the patron of travelers, and his medal remains among the most worn religious objects in the world despite his feast being removed from the general Roman calendar in 1969 for want of historical evidence.
Christophe in use
Christophe peaked in France in 1969, when 22,635 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It charts in exactly one of the six markets we track — 1352nd in France on 25 births and 1411th in Canada — across 383,600 lifetime births. Like Françoise it is a name whose entire recorded life belongs to one country, and its English equivalent Christopher spread where it did not.
How popular is Christophe?
In 2025, Christophe was given to 25 babies in France. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Christophe is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Christophe
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Christophe also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Christophe over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Christophe
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Christophe in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Dutch
- Christopher
- German
- Christoph
- Greek
- Christopher
Sibling names for Christophe
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Christophe — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Christophe
What does the name Christophe mean?
Bearing Christ — the Greek Christos joined to pherein, to carry.
Why is Saint Christopher the patron of travelers?
From the legend of the giant who carried a child across a river and found he had borne the weight of the world.
Is Christophe the same as Christopher?
Yes, the French and English forms of the same Greek name.
How popular is Christophe?
1352nd in France — the only market where it charts.
Is Christophe a girl's or a boy's name?
Christophe is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Christophe?
Christophe has 2 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Christophe?
Christophe is usually shortened to Chris.
Is Christophe a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Christophe currently ranks #1,352 in France. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.