Gender: Boy
Meaning: Bearer of Christ; Christ-carrier
Origin: Greek — from Christos (Christ) + phero (to bear, carry)
Popularity: Ranked #61 in 2024 with 5,054 babies born.
History: Christopher honors the legendary St. Christopher, patron saint of travelers, who according to tradition carried the Christ child across a river. The name became wildly popular across Catholic Europe in the Middle Ages. Christopher Columbus gave it enduring New World prestige. In the United States it dominated the top 5 from the 1960s through the 1990s — an entire generation of Chrises, Chrises, and Kits. Though it has slipped from the very top, it remains a well-loved classic.
Famous people named Christopher: Christopher Columbus (explorer), Christopher Nolan (director), Chris Hemsworth (actor)
Name length: 11 letters
How common is Christopher? About 1 in 659 babies born in 2024 were named Christopher, or roughly 13.8 per day in the United States.
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