Christopher
Christopher was given to 4,748 boys in 2025, #68 among boys’ names; 2,079,103 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 1.89 million Americans named Christopher and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (91% of everyone recorded); the median is 42 years old and half are between 31 and 51.
Christopher is the #7 most common first name among living American men and boys, by this estimate.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Christopher by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Christopher mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Christopher is “a male given name from Ancient Greek.” Its etymology gives the senses “carrier of Christ” (Χρῑστόφορος) and “Christ” (Χριστός) and “carrier, bearer” (φόρος).
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.
/ˈkɹɪs.tə.fɚ/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Christopher?
#68 among boys’ names, 2025
Christopher fell from #32 in 2015 to #68 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born fell from 5.1 to 2.8 per 1,000.
60,411 babies in 1984, the peak
Christopher peaked in 1984, when 60,411 babies were given it (60,021 boys, #2 among boys’ names). The 4,748 births of 2025 are 8% of that peak.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4,748 | #68 | 2.8 |
| 2024 | 5,082 | #61 | 2.9 |
| 2023 | 5,198 | #55 | 3.0 |
| 2022 | 5,589 | #55 | 3.2 |
| 2021 | 5,863 | #52 | 3.4 |
| 2020 | 6,216 | #47 | 3.6 |
| 2019 | 7,022 | #44 | 3.9 |
| 2018 | 7,341 | #42 | 4.0 |
| 2017 | 8,319 | #39 | 4.5 |
| 2016 | 9,106 | #36 | 4.8 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 9,853 | #32 | 5.1 |
| 2014 | 10,390 | #30 | 5.4 |
| 2013 | 10,878 | #26 | 5.8 |
| 2012 | 11,921 | #23 | 6.3 |
| 2011 | 13,027 | #20 | 6.9 |
| 2010 | 14,299 | #13 | 7.5 |
| 2009 | 16,368 | #10 | 8.3 |
| 2008 | 17,966 | #9 | 8.8 |
| 2007 | 20,030 | #6 | 9.7 |
| 2006 | 19,688 | #8 | 9.6 |
| 2005 | 19,174 | #10 | 9.6 |
| 2004 | 19,636 | #10 | 9.9 |
| 2003 | 20,753 | #9 | 10.5 |
| 2002 | 21,689 | #8 | 11.2 |
| 2001 | 23,132 | #5 | 11.9 |
| 2000 | 24,936 | #5 | 12.7 |
| 1999 | 25,604 | #6 | 13.3 |
| 1998 | 27,007 | #5 | 14.1 |
| 1997 | 29,108 | #4 | 15.4 |
| 1996 | 30,904 | #4 | 16.3 |
| 1995 | 32,679 | #3 | 17.2 |
| 1994 | 34,807 | #2 | 18.0 |
| 1993 | 38,237 | #2 | 19.5 |
| 1992 | 42,468 | #2 | 21.3 |
| 1991 | 47,111 | #2 | 23.3 |
| 1990 | 52,362 | #2 | 25.5 |
| 1989 | 53,186 | #2 | 26.6 |
| 1988 | 53,014 | #2 | 27.7 |
| 1987 | 54,493 | #2 | 29.2 |
| 1986 | 56,693 | #2 | 30.8 |
| 1985 | 59,609 | #2 | 32.3 |
| 1984 | 60,021 | #2 | 33.3 |
| 1983 | 59,324 | #2 | 33.1 |
| 1982 | 59,223 | #2 | 32.6 |
| 1981 | 50,221 | #2 | 28.0 |
| 1980 | 49,079 | #2 | 27.5 |
| 1979 | 50,659 | #2 | 29.4 |
| 1978 | 47,236 | #3 | 28.8 |
| 1977 | 46,721 | #3 | 28.4 |
| 1976 | 45,190 | #3 | 28.8 |
| 1975 | 46,575 | #3 | 29.8 |
| 1974 | 48,585 | #3 | 30.9 |
| 1973 | 48,313 | #2 | 31.0 |
| 1972 | 52,172 | #2 | 32.2 |
| 1971 | 48,225 | #6 | 27.3 |
| 1970 | 41,747 | #6 | 22.5 |
| 1969 | 35,672 | #7 | 19.9 |
| 1968 | 31,468 | #9 | 18.1 |
| 1967 | 29,413 | #9 | 16.9 |
| 1966 | 27,866 | #12 | 15.6 |
| 1965 | 24,640 | #18 | 13.2 |
| 1964 | 19,627 | #23 | 9.8 |
| 1963 | 18,339 | #26 | 9.0 |
| 1962 | 17,535 | #26 | 8.5 |
| 1961 | 17,223 | #26 | 8.1 |
| 1960 | 15,361 | #29 | 7.2 |
| 1959 | 12,915 | #35 | 6.1 |
| 1958 | 11,079 | #39 | 5.2 |
| 1957 | 8,997 | #43 | 4.2 |
| 1956 | 8,384 | #47 | 4.0 |
| 1955 | 7,922 | #49 | 3.8 |
| 1954 | 6,084 | #64 | 3.0 |
| 1953 | 6,081 | #63 | 3.1 |
| 1952 | 6,302 | #57 | 3.2 |
| 1951 | 5,734 | #61 | 3.0 |
| 1950 | 4,835 | #72 | 2.7 |
| 1949 | 4,000 | #81 | 2.3 |
| 1948 | 3,036 | #102 | 1.7 |
| 1947 | 2,273 | #127 | 1.2 |
| 1946 | 1,599 | #150 | 1.0 |
| 1945 | 1,138 | #160 | 0.85 |
| 1944 | 1,001 | #170 | 0.73 |
| 1943 | 888 | #184 | 0.62 |
| 1942 | 813 | #195 | 0.59 |
| 1941 | 618 | #215 | 0.50 |
| 1940 | 499 | #241 | 0.43 |
| 1939 | 359 | #292 | 0.32 |
| 1938 | 308 | #313 | 0.28 |
| 1937 | 294 | #312 | 0.28 |
| 1936 | 277 | #323 | 0.27 |
| 1935 | 269 | #334 | 0.26 |
| 1934 | 271 | #330 | 0.26 |
| 1933 | 205 | #381 | 0.21 |
| 1932 | 244 | #354 | 0.23 |
| 1931 | 237 | #364 | 0.23 |
| 1930 | 267 | #344 | 0.24 |
| 1929 | 273 | #337 | 0.25 |
| 1928 | 266 | #349 | 0.24 |
| 1927 | 285 | #340 | 0.25 |
| 1926 | 270 | #353 | 0.24 |
| 1925 | 286 | #345 | 0.26 |
| 1924 | 297 | #338 | 0.26 |
| 1923 | 294 | #342 | 0.27 |
| 1922 | 307 | #332 | 0.28 |
| 1921 | 291 | #346 | 0.26 |
| 1920 | 293 | #339 | 0.28 |
| 1919 | 262 | #353 | 0.27 |
| 1918 | 272 | #351 | 0.27 |
| 1917 | 263 | #340 | 0.28 |
| 1916 | 260 | #331 | 0.29 |
| 1915 | 242 | #341 | 0.29 |
| 1914 | 200 | #321 | 0.31 |
| 1913 | 157 | #322 | 0.31 |
| 1912 | 151 | #290 | 0.35 |
| 1911 | 83 | #289 | 0.37 |
| 1910 | 70 | #296 | 0.36 |
| 1909 | 50 | #326 | 0.30 |
| 1908 | 54 | #296 | 0.35 |
| 1907 | 52 | #295 | 0.35 |
| 1906 | 49 | #288 | 0.37 |
| 1905 | 50 | #280 | 0.38 |
| 1904 | 43 | #294 | 0.34 |
| 1903 | 50 | #260 | 0.42 |
| 1902 | 47 | #274 | 0.38 |
| 1901 | 34 | #304 | 0.32 |
| 1900 | 55 | #278 | 0.37 |
| 1899 | 42 | #259 | 0.40 |
| 1898 | 43 | #277 | 0.35 |
| 1897 | 57 | #232 | 0.51 |
| 1896 | 73 | #206 | 0.61 |
| 1895 | 60 | #227 | 0.51 |
| 1894 | 72 | #202 | 0.62 |
| 1893 | 93 | #157 | 0.83 |
| 1892 | 100 | #159 | 0.82 |
| 1891 | 62 | #200 | 0.61 |
| 1890 | 66 | #201 | 0.59 |
| 1889 | 71 | #187 | 0.64 |
| 1888 | 79 | #188 | 0.65 |
| 1887 | 56 | #205 | 0.55 |
| 1886 | 66 | #201 | 0.60 |
| 1885 | 71 | #183 | 0.66 |
| 1884 | 68 | #196 | 0.59 |
| 1883 | 89 | #144 | 0.85 |
| 1882 | 89 | #155 | 0.78 |
| 1881 | 68 | #173 | 0.68 |
| 1880 | 95 | #142 | 0.86 |
Ranks and shares: boys’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all boys SSA recorded that year.
Is Christopher a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Christopher has been given almost only to boys: 9,507 girls in 146 years of records.
Girls and boys named Christopher: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Christopher, and how old are they?
1.89 million alive in 2026, estimated
That is 91% of the 2,079,103 Americans ever recorded as Christopher. The median Christopher alive today is 42 years old; half are between 31 and 51.
The 2020 Census counted 1,499,872 people named Christopher (2,214 women and girls, 1,497,658 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 1,911,146 born in the U.S. The Census count is 22% below that prediction. Possible reasons: people who give a short form or another name to the Census, and a survival estimate that can run high.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 2,290 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 128,000 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 602,000 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 747,000 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 319,000 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 95,000 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Christopher born?
The states with the most babies named Christopher are California, New York and Texas, with 27% of its births recorded by state since 1910.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 226,336 | #72 | 0.9× |
| New York | 173,724 | #53 | 1.1× |
| Texas | 154,878 | #49 | 0.9× |
| Florida | 93,977 | #55 | 1.1× |
| Pennsylvania | 92,387 | #83 | 0.9× |
| Ohio | 91,025 | #93 | 0.9× |
| Illinois | 87,044 | #91 | 0.8× |
| Michigan | 73,299 | #91 | 0.9× |
| New Jersey | 71,415 | #45 | 1.2× |
| Georgia | 64,294 | #41 | 1.1× |
Where Christopher is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Christopher is most over-represented in Connecticut: since 1910 it was given 1.3 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Christopher with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 8 names spelled alike, given to 2,087,900 babies since 1880, Christopher is the most given (100% of them). In 2025 it was given to 4,748 of their 4,770 babies (100%), again the most given.
| Name | Since 1880 | Births 2025 | Peak year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christopher | 2,079,103 | 4,748 | 1984 |
| Christofer | 3,856 | 22 | 2007 |
| Christpher | 1,304 | under 5 | 1986 |
| Chirstopher | 1,051 | under 5 | 1981 |
| Christoffer | 728 | under 5 | 1990 |
| Christapher | 701 | under 5 | 1990 |
| Christipher | 620 | under 5 | 1987 |
| Christophor | 537 | under 5 | 1971 |
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Christopher
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Christopher and names like it
- Compare Christopher and ChristoferBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1980sChristopher peaked in 1984.
- California’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Christopher since 1910.
- Ancient Greek namesWiktionary’s origin for Christopher: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 1984The year the most babies were named Christopher.
- The names of the MillennialsMost people named Christopher alive today were born 1981-1996.
- Names starting with CMost given first.