The first name Christopher
A boy’s name from Greek meaning “carrier of christ”, “christ”, “carrier”.
Pronounced /ˈkɹɪs.tə.fɚ/ 3 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Greek origin
Christopher means “carrier of christ”, “christ”, “carrier” in Greek.
From Late Latin Christophorus, from Koine Greek Χρῑστόφορος (Khrīstóphoros, “carrier of Christ”), from Ancient Greek Χριστός (Khristós, “Christ”) + φόρος (phóros, “carrier, bearer”), from φέρειν (phérein, “to carry, to bear”) + -ος (-os, “-er: forming agent nouns”), from the legend of Saint Christopher carrying the infant Jesus across a river.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 247 boys were named Christopher, making it the 203rd most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 3,483 births (#25).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Christopher with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Christopher at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 4,748 boys born in the United States were named Christopher, the 68th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1984, when 60,021 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Christopher in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Christopher
587 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Christopher LeeEnglish actor and singer (1922–2015)
- Christopher PlummerCanadian actor (1929–2021)
- Christopher MarloweEnglish dramatist, poet and translator (1564–1593)
- Christopher WrenEnglish architect (1632–1723)
- Christopher HitchensEnglish American author and journalist (1949–2011)
- Christopher ReeveAmerican actor (1952–2004)
- Christopher WalkenAmerican actor (born 1943)
- Christopher LloydAmerican actor (born 1938)
- Christopher LambertAmerican actor, born 1957
- Christopher PaoliniAuthor, novelist, born 1983
- Christopher A. SimsAmerican econometrician and macroeconomist (1942-2026)
- Christopher IsherwoodBritish-American novelist (1904-1986)
More Greek boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Christopher mean?
- Christopher means “carrier of christ”, “christ”, “carrier” in Greek.
- What is the origin of the name Christopher?
- From Late Latin Christophorus, from Koine Greek Χρῑστόφορος (Khrīstóphoros, “carrier of Christ”), from Ancient Greek Χριστός (Khristós, “Christ”) + φόρος (phóros, “carrier, bearer”), from φέρειν (phérein, “to carry, to bear”) + -ος (-os, “-er: forming agent nouns”), from the legend of Saint…
- How popular is the name Christopher?
- In 2025, 247 boys born in England and Wales were named Christopher, ranking 203rd. Its peak was 1996, with 3,483 births.
- What are nicknames for Christopher?
- Common nicknames for Christopher include Kit, Christie, Kester, Christy, Chris, Chrissy.
- Is Christopher a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 2,079,103 US babies named Christopher since 1880 were boys.
- When was Christopher most popular?
- 1984 in the United States, when 60,021 babies were named Christopher, its highest rank at 2nd.
- How do you pronounce Christopher?
- Christopher is /ˈkɹɪs.tə.fɚ/, 3 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Christopher?
- Kristopher, Topher and Christophor.
- Is Christopher also a surname?
- Yes. Christopher is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.