# Christopher (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/christopher/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname originating as a patronymic.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | Greek |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 29,067 |
| US rank (2010) | 1,214 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 10,622 people |
| Change since 2000 | +2.0% (28,493 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkɹɪs.tə.fɚ/, 3 syllables |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

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.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Christopher in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 74% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 19% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3.5% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 1.3% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.5% |
| Two or more races | 2.2% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Christopher in the United States.

## People named Christopher

- Dennis Christopher, American actor
- William Christopher, American actor (1932-2016)
- Gerard Christopher, American actor
- Josh Christopher, American basketball player (born 2001)
- Tyler Christopher, American actor (1972-2023)
- Kay Christopher, actress, model (1926-2012)
- George H. Christopher, American politician (1888-1959)

## Similar surnames

Christensen, Christian, Christiansen, Christie, Christy, Christianson, Christman, Christenson, Crist, Christ, Christopherson, Christmas.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.