as a First Name
From the Greek name Khristophoros, from Khristos ‘Christ’ + pherein ‘to bear’. This was popular among early Christians, conscious of the fact that they were metaphorically bearing Christ in their hearts. A later, over-literal interpretation of the name gave rise to the legend of a saint who actually bore the Christ-child over a stream; he is regarded as the patron of travellers. In England the name was uncommon in the Middle Ages, but became very popular in the 16th century, especially in parts of the North.
| 22nd in the U.S. for 2011 |
Nicknames & variations
Quick facts
- Millions
- of people in the U.S have this name
- 1,337,864
- to be exact (as of February 2011)
- 1,951,132
- if you include dead people (since the government started keeping track)
- Massachusetts
- has the most people named Christopher per capita
- 1984
- marked the height of its popularity
0.33%
99.67%
3%
55+
55+
46%
30-54
30-54
32%
13-29
13-29
19%
0-12
0-12
Top state populations
U.S. Distribution Map
