Kristifer
A masculine name derived from the Greek "Christophoros" meaning "Christ-bearer".
Name Census estimates that about 27 living Americans carry the first name Kristifer. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kristifer today is around 43 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kristifer births was 1984 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kristifer. 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 Kristifer. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
27
~ 1 in 12,694,605 Americans
Peak year
1984
7 babies that year
Average age
43
years old
1988 SSA rank
#7,967
Tracked since 1976
Popularity
Kristifer: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kristifer from the 1970s through to the 1980s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 23 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kristifer 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 Kristifer 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 Kristifer
The given name Kristifer is a variant spelling of the name Christopher, which has its origins in the Greek language. The name Christopher is derived from the Greek words "Christos" meaning "anointed" and "phero" meaning "to bear" or "to carry." The name was given to early Christian martyrs who "carried Christ" within them.
The name Kristifer gained popularity during the Middle Ages, particularly among the Germanic and Scandinavian populations who adopted the name with their own spelling variations. One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Kristifer can be found in the 9th century Frankish chronicles, where it was mentioned as the name of a soldier in Charlemagne's army.
In the 11th century, a Benedictine monk named Kristifer von Bamberg was renowned for his scholarly work on biblical exegesis. His writings were widely circulated throughout Europe, further spreading the name's popularity.
During the Crusades, several knights and noblemen bore the name Kristifer. One notable figure was Kristifer de Montfort, a French knight who participated in the Third Crusade and was mentioned in the chronicles of the time for his bravery and leadership.
In the 14th century, a German artist and woodcarver named Kristifer Jamnitzer gained recognition for his intricate religious sculptures and altarpieces. His works can still be found in churches across Germany and Austria.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Kristifer Kolumbus, a 15th-century Italian explorer who is believed to be the great-grandson of the famous Christopher Columbus. Kristifer Kolumbus was a skilled navigator and cartographer, and his maps were widely used by sailors and explorers of his time.
While the spelling "Kristifer" is less common today, it has been used throughout history by individuals from various cultural and linguistic backgrounds, reflecting the name's enduring popularity and adaptability across different regions and time periods.
People
Kristifer + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kristifer as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Kristifer: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kristifer?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 27 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kristifer 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 12,694,605 US residents.
Is Kristifer a common name?
We classify Kristifer as "Very Rare". It ranks above 44.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 28 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kristifer most popular?
The single biggest year for Kristifer was 1984, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kristifer is about 43 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 Kristifer in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kristifer a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kristifer 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 Kristifer still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kristifer 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 Kristifer 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 the name Kristifer?
If you just want to know how many people share the name Kristifer, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.