Cristofher
A masculine name of Greek origin meaning "bearer of Christ".
Name Census estimates that about 99 living Americans carry the first name Cristofher. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Cristofher today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cristofher births was 2009 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cristofher. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Cristofher. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
99
~ 1 in 3,462,165 Americans
Peak year
2009
14 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2015 SSA rank
#12,453
Tracked since 1995
Popularity
Cristofher: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Cristofher from the 1990s through to the 2010s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 66 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Cristofher by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Cristofher during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Cristofher
The name Cristofher is derived from the Greek name Χριστόφορος (Christophoros), meaning "bearer of Christ". It is composed of the elements Χριστός (Christos) meaning "Christ" and φέρω (phero) meaning "to bear or carry". This name has its origins in early Christianity and is believed to have been first used among Greek-speaking Christian communities in the Eastern Mediterranean region.
The name Cristofher is closely associated with the legend of Saint Christopher, a third-century martyr venerated as the patron saint of travelers. According to tradition, he was a giant of a man who carried a child across a river, only to discover later that the child was the Christ Child, bearing the weight of the world on his shoulders. This symbolic story of strength and devotion helped popularize the name among Christians.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cristofher can be found in the Martyrologium Hieronymianum, an ancient martyrology or catalogue of martyrs and saints, dating back to the 7th century. This text mentions a Saint Christopher who was martyred in Lycia, Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey).
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Cristofher. One of the most famous was Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer who is credited with leading the first European expeditions to the Americas in 1492. Other notable Cristophers include:
1. Christopher Wren (1632-1723), the renowned English architect responsible for rebuilding St. Paul's Cathedral in London after the Great Fire of 1666.
2. Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593), the English playwright, poet, and translator who was a contemporary of William Shakespeare.
3. Christopher Isherwood (1904-1986), the English novelist and playwright known for his works set in Berlin during the Weimar Republic.
4. Christopher Plummer (1929-2021), the Canadian actor who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film "Beginners" (2010).
5. Christopher Reeve (1952-2004), the American actor best known for his portrayal of Superman in the popular film series.
The name Cristofher has a rich history and has been carried by many notable figures throughout the centuries, reflecting its association with strength, perseverance, and a sense of bearing great responsibility.
People
Cristofher + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cristofher as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Cristofher: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cristofher?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 99 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cristofher going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 3,462,165 US residents.
Is Cristofher a common name?
We classify Cristofher as "Very Rare". It ranks above 64.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 100 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Cristofher most popular?
The single biggest year for Cristofher was 2009, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cristofher is about 21 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Cristofher in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Cristofher a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Cristofher in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Cristofher still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Cristofher in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Cristofher can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Cristofher as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many people share the name Cristofher on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.