Total births
2,069,596
Boys' name · since 1880
Christopher
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 2,069,596 babies named Christopher, peaking in 1984. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #61
- among boys today
- 2,069,596
- born since 1880
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 99.6%
- more common than other boys
Christopher currently ranks #61 among boys' names in America, with 2,069,596 babies recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Christopher recorded 2,069,596 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #61 nationally today, ahead of 99.6% of boys, peaking in the 1980s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #61 among boys today
- 2,069,596 born since 1880
- 1980s peak decade
- 99.6% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Christopher is currently the #61 boys' name in America, more common than 99.6% of boys - 2,069,596 born since 1880, peaking in the 1980s.
- #61
- among boys today
- 2,069,596
- born since 1880
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 99.6%
- more common than other boys
Christopher vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#61
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 99.6% of names given to boys today.
1980s
Peak decade
27% of everyone ever named Christopher was born in this single decade.
1984
Single peak year
60,021 babies were named Christopher in 1984 - its busiest year on record.
How Christopher compares
2,069,596 Top 0% higher than 100% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Christopher's all-time total is 5,639x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Christopher | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,069,596 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 60,021 | 23 | 22,252 |
Christopher's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Christopher's full recorded timeline at 1953, 98% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 2% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1901, with just 34 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1984 peak of 60,021 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Christopher at a glance
Top 100 boys' namePeak year
1984
Current rank
#61
Active since
1880
Christopher popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1984)
- 60,021
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Christopher popularity over time - girls
9,507 total births recorded since 1938 (Christopher as girls' name)
Christopher by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Christopher's strongest decade.
554,863 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 27% of all-time use.
Christopher births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 752
1880s
752 births
- 1890s 668
1890s
668 births
- 1900s 484
1900s
484 births
- 1910s 1,960
1910s
1,960 births
- 1920s 2,862
1920s
2,862 births
- 1930s 2,731
1930s
2,731 births
- 1940s 15,865
1940s
15,865 births
- 1950s 78,333
1950s
78,333 births
- 1960s
1960s
237,144 births
- 1970s
1970s
475,423 births
- 1980s
1980s
554,863 births
- 1990s
1990s
360,287 births
- 2000s 203,372
2000s
203,372 births
- 2010s 102,156
2010s
102,156 births
- 2020s 32,696
2020s
32,696 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 554,863 births (27% of all-time use).
How Christopher compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Christopher's total volume
Christopher vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Christopher by state
Where Christopher concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 225,231 | 10.9% |
| #2 | New York | | 173,075 | 8.4% |
| #3 | Texas | | 154,189 | 7.5% |
| #4 | Florida | | 93,665 | 4.5% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 92,099 | 4.5% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 90,710 | 4.4% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 86,723 | 4.2% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 73,051 | 3.5% |
California share of Christopher's total US births 10.9%
Even split
225,231 of 2,069,596 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Christopher appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Christopher? ▼
2,069,596 babies have been named Christopher since 1880. It currently ranks #61 among boys. The peak year was 1984 with 60,021 births.
When was Christopher most popular? ▼
Christopher was most popular in the 1980s decade with 554,863 total births. The single peak year was 1984.
Where is Christopher most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Christopher are California (225,231 births), New York (173,075 births), Texas (154,189 births).
How long has the name Christopher been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Christopher since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Christopher? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Christian, Chris, Christophe, Christ, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Christopher's data
- Christopher's decade-level peak was the 1980s (554,863 total births); usage has since declined to 32,696 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Christophers (225,231 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Christopher
Nearby Names Like Christopher
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Christopher
Christian Boy
#77 453,968 births
Chris Boy
#651 147,462 births
Christophe Boy
#8420 4,476 births
Christ Boy
#3606 3,977 births
Christofer Boy
#3715 3,856 births
Compare Christopher side by side: Christopher vs Christian Christopher vs Chris Christopher vs Christophe
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Christopher
Bennett #60
72,514 births · Peak 2025
Nathan #62
587,497 births · Peak 2004
Jayden #59
253,989 births · Peak 2009
Angel #63
265,886 births · Peak 2006
Wesley #58
247,713 births · Peak 2025
Nolan #64
135,505 births · Peak 2015
Joshua #57
1,248,929 births · Peak 1989
Waylon #65
55,048 births · Peak 2025
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Christopher: #61 Boys' Name - 2,069,596 Births, Peak 1984." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/christopher. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Christopher draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.