Search for names here!
The name Christopher is of Greek origin and is derived from the words “Christos,” which means “anointed” or “chosen,” and “phoros,” meaning “carrier.” The name thus means “Christ-bearer” or “one who carries Christ.”
In Christianity, Saint Christopher is a martyr who is chosen to carry a baby across a river who was later revealed to be Christ. Due to this tradition, Saint Christopher became the patron saint of travelers and is often represented as a giant carrying a young child.
The Normans brought the name Christopher to England in the Middle Ages, and it quickly became a famous given name. It was quite popular in English-speaking countries during the 20th century and still remains so.
The phonetic spelling of Christopher is Krist-uh-fuh. There are numerous variations of Christopher in different languages and cultures though the meaning remains the same.
Some variants of the name include Christophe in French, Christoph in German, Cristóbal in Spanish, Cristóvão in Portuguese, Kristof in Slovak, Kristóf in Hungarian, and Cristofor in Romanian.
Various authors have used this timeless name for their characters. These include Christopher Robin from A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh stories, Christopher Tietjens, the protagonist in Ford Madox Ford’s novel “Parade’s End,” Christopher Newman, the character in Henry James’ novel “The American,” and Christopher Banks, the protagonist of Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel “When We Were Orphans.”
The three-syllable name is also featured in various movies and TV shows. Christopher Pike is a character in “Star Trek” franchise, Christopher Chant is a character in the series “Chrestomanci” by Diana Wynne Jones, and Christopher Carrion is a character in Clive Barker’s “Abarat” series.
How To Pronounce Christopher?
Famous People With The Name Christopher
- Christopher Reeve American actor best known for his Superman roles in 1970s and 1980s
- Christopher WalkenAmerican actor famous for his distinctive voice and powerful performances in films such as “The Deer Hunter” and “Pulp Fiction”
- Christopher HitchensBritish-American novelist, writer, and public intellectual noted for his sharp sarcasm and divisive views on religion and politics
- Christopher Plummer Canadian actor best known for his appearances in movies such as “The Sound of Music” and “Knives Out”
- Christopher Lee British actor well known for his work in horror films like “Dracula” and “The Wicker Man”
- Christopher Nolan British-American filmmaker best known for directing “The Dark Knight” trilogy and “Interstellar”
Christopher On The Popularity Chart
Christopher has been a popular boy’s name for numerous decades. However, the traditional name’s popularity has been steadily declining since the 2010s. Learn more about the name’s popularity trends from the graphs below.
Popularity Over Time
Christopher was one of the most popular boy names in the US from the 1980s to the 2000s. In 2007, a whopping 20026 babies per million were named Christopher, which fell to 5809 in 2021.
Source: Social Security AdministrationRank Over Time
Christopher registered his highest ranking of 12,072 in 1983. The name is ranked 17,596 as of 2021. Check out the graph below to understand the name’s ranking over time.
Source: Social Security AdministrationNames With Similar Sounds As Christopher
Christopher is a powerful name with a unique sound. If you liked how the name sounds, you will love these similar-sounding names as well.
Names With Similar Meaning As Christopher
Looking for names with meanings similar to Christopher? Here are some options.
Name Numerology For Christopher
