Christopher Name Meaning

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Meena Azzollini
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Meena Azzollini

Meena Azzollini is a health and wellness content creator with experience covering parenting, women's health, and mental health. She specializes in creating effective content for various health and wellness-based businesses and empowers them with words that make a connection with their audience. 

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Updated on July 28, 2021
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Emily Swaim
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What Does Christopher Mean?

The name Christopher is derived from the Greek word Christóforos, meaning “bearer of Christ.” It is composed of two Greek elements Christós (Christ) and phero (to bear, carry). Christopher was also associated with Saint Christopher, patron saint of travelers who according to legend carried the Christ Child over a dangerous river.

  • Origin: Christopher is an English name of Greek origin meaning “bearer of Christ.”
  • Gender: Christopher is most commonly used as a boy’s name.
  • Pronunciation: krihs-tuh-fer

Although many baby names are separated by gender, Verywell Family believes that sex does not need to play a role in your name selection process. It’s important to select a name that you feel suits your new baby the best.

How Popular Is the Name Christopher?

Christopher is one of the most popular names in existence. You can also find it in various ethnolinguistic forms throughout the world. As an English first name, Christopher is a classic, regularly used since the 15th century. 

In the U.S., the name has been in the Top 500 names since 1900. According to data from the Social Security Administration, it ranked at the No. 2 spot from 1979 to 1994—its most popular year. From 1955 to 2020 the name features in the Top 50 names in the U.S. for boys.

Name Variations

The following are variations of the name Christopher:

  • Christie (Scottish & Irish)
  • Christoffel (Dutch)
  • Christoph (German)
  • Christophe (French)
  • Christoforos (Greek)
  • Christophorus (Latin)
  • Christos (Greek)
  • Cristóbal (Spanish)
  • Cristoforo (Italian)
  • Cristóvão (Portuguese)
  • Kristoffer (Scandinavian)
  • Krištof (Slavic)
  • Krzysztof (Polish)
  • Risto (Finnish)

Similar Names

Names with similar meaning as Christopher:

  • Christian
  • Christiano
  • Cristian or Kristian
  • Kristen

Other boy names starting with C:

  • Caleb
  • Calvin
  • Camden
  • Cameron
  • Carlos
  • Carson
  • Carter
  • Cayden 
  • Charles
  • Charlie
  • Chase
  • Cole
  • Colin
  • Colt 
  • Connor
  • Cooper
  • Corbin

Common Nicknames

Some popular nicknames for Christopher:

  • Chip
  • Chris
  • Kester
  • Kit
  • Kris 
  • Topher

Suggested Sibling Names

Looking for a sibling name for Christopher? Here are some popular options:

  • Abigail
  • Addison
  • Ava
  • Benjamin
  • Charlotte
  • Daniel
  • Dylan
  • Elijah
  • Grace
  • Kiara
  • Michael
  • Norah
  • William

Famous People Named Christopher

Here are some of the most notable Christophers:

  • Christopher (Chris) Isaak, American musician known for his songs “Wicked Game, ”Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing,” and “Somebody’s Crying”
  • Christopher (Chris) Martin, English singer, songwriter, lead singer, and co-founder of the alternative rock band Coldplay
  • Christopher (Chris) Reaves Messina, American blogger and speaker known as the inventor of the hashtag currently used on social media platforms
  • Christopher Columbus, Italian explorer and navigator, who completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean from Spain
  • Christopher John Grace, American actor known for playing Eric Forman in the sitcom “That ‘70s Show”
  • Christopher Keith Irvine, also known as Chris Jericho, is an American-Canadian professional wrestler and six-time world WWF/WWE champion
  • Christopher Nolan, British-American film director, producer, and screenwriter known for directing the “Batman” series of movies starring Christian Bale
  • Christopher Paolini, American author best known for his works, a tetralogy called “The Inheritance Cycle”
  • Christopher Robin Milne, English author, and the only child of the author of “Winnie-the-Pooh” stories author A. A. Milne
  • Sir Christopher Wren, acclaimed English architect known for designing St Paul’s Cathedral in London

More Baby Names

Still searching for the perfect baby name? Check out these related baby name lists for even more options: 

Top 1,000 Baby Boy Names

100 Greek Baby Names

100 Biblical Baby Names

1 Source
Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Social Security Administration. Popular baby names.

By Meena Azzollini
Meena Azzollini is a health and wellness content creator with experience covering parenting, women's health, and mental health. She specializes in creating effective content for various health and wellness-based businesses and empowers them with words that make a connection with their audience. 

See Our Editorial Process
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