boy's name
Christopher
KRIS-tuh-fer
- Origin Greek
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 3
- Letters 11
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 2,221,871
the United States
#68
2025 births
Christopher is a boy's name of Greek origin meaning "bearer of Christ," from Christos and pherein, to carry. The legend of Saint Christopher carrying a child across a river, who proves to be Christ, was built to explain a name that originally meant carrying Christ in the heart.
- Christopher is a name of Greek origin.
- Peaked in 1984, when 60,411 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 698 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Christopher over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 752 |
| 1890s | 668 |
| 1900s | 484 |
| 1910s | 1,960 |
| 1920s | 2,862 |
| 1930s | 2,744 |
| 1940s | 16,064 |
| 1950s | 78,655 |
| 1960s | 238,077 |
| 1970s | 478,191 |
| 1980s | 558,503 |
| 1990s | 361,334 |
| 2000s | 203,803 |
| 2010s | 102,277 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 32,729 |
What Christopher means
Christopher means Christ-bearer, combining the Greek for the anointed one with a verb meaning to carry. Early Christians used it to mean carrying Christ within oneself; the literal reading came later and produced the famous legend.
Where Christopher comes from
Christopher comes from the Greek Christophoros, from Christos, the anointed one, and pherein, to bear or carry. Early Christians understood it metaphorically — a believer carries Christ in the heart. The familiar legend, in which a giant named Reprobus ferries travelers across a river and one day carries a child who grows impossibly heavy because he bears the weight of the world, appears to have been constructed later to explain the name literally, and Saint Christopher became the patron of travelers on that basis. The name was extremely common in medieval England and produced the surname Christopherson. The Greek root pherein also gives English metaphor, phosphorus and periphery.
Christopher in use
The legend of Christopher carrying the child across the river seems to have been invented to explain the name, rather than the name recording the legend.
How popular is Christopher?
In 2025, Christopher was given to 4,748 babies in the United States, ranking #68 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Christopher is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Christopher
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Christopher also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Christopher over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
6 nicknames for Christopher
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.
Christopher 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.
- German
- Christoph
- Icelandic
- Kristofer
- Latvian
- Kristaps
- Polish
- Krzysztof
- Other forms
- Forms we hold no single language for — some are used across several, some are simply spelled differently.
- Christophe Cristopher Cristobal Kristoffer Christofer Chip Khristopher Christoffer Kester Kristof Christof
Sibling names for Christopher
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Christopher — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Christopher
What does the name Christopher mean?
Christopher means "bearer of Christ," from the Greek Christos and pherein, to carry.
Who was Saint Christopher?
The patron saint of travelers, said to have carried a child across a river who proved to be Christ.
What are nicknames for Christopher?
Chris is most common, with Kit and Topher also used.
How popular is the name Christopher?
In 2025, Christopher was given to 4,748 babies in the United States, ranking #68 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Is Christopher a girl's or a boy's name?
Christopher is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Christopher?
Christopher has 3 syllables.
When was Christopher most popular?
Christopher peaked in 1984, when 60,411 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
Is Christopher a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Christopher currently ranks #68 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.