Christopher
Christopher is the English version of a Europe-wide name derived from the Greek name Χριστόφορος. The constituent parts are Χριστός (Christós), "Christ" or "Anointed", and φέρειν (phérein), "to bear"; hence the "Christ-bearer".
- English
Meaning & Origin of Christopher
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Christopher is the English version of a Europe-wide name derived from the Greek name Χριστόφορος. The constituent parts are Χριστός (Christós), "Christ" or "Anointed", and φέρειν (phérein), "to bear"; hence the "Christ-bearer".
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Christopher
American parents first put Christopher on the record books as a baby boy name in 1880, with 95 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1984, when 60,019 Christophers were born — ranking #2 that year. About 27% of every Christopher on record arrived during the 1980s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Christopher ranks #72 for baby boys with 4,764 births, falling sharply (-27%). All told, over 2.1M Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Christopher
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Christopher. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Where is Christopher most common?
Predicted country distribution based on naming patterns globally.
- United States61%
- United Kingdom18%
- Canada8%
- Germany7%
- France6%
Source: Nationalize.io . Probabilities are global naming-pattern estimates, not strict counts.
Names that sound like Christopher
Phonetically similar names — useful when Christopher is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Kristopher
- Cristopher
- Kristofer
- Cristofer
- Christoffer
- Kristoffer
- Kristof
- Christof
- Christophers
- Christoph
- Christophe
- Kristoff
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Christopher
What does the name Christopher mean?
What is the origin of the name Christopher?
How popular is Christopher in 2026?
When was Christopher most popular?
In which U.S. states is Christopher most popular?
Is Christopher a unisex name?
What names go well with Christopher?
What are nicknames or variants of Christopher?
About the name Christopher
Christopher is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 2.1M births in the dataset. Christopher's peak popularity came in 1984 when it ranked #2. Use the chart and map above to compare Christopher's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1984 →
- Names of the 1980s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.