Find out how popular the last name Christopher is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Christopher.

Christopher, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Christopher surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Christopher in America

Christopher is the 1214th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Christopher surname appeared 29,067 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 10 people would have the surname Christopher.

We can also compare 2010 data for Christopher to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Christopher

The surname Christopher originated in England and Scotland during the medieval period. It is derived from the ancient Greek name Christophoros, which means "Christ-bearer" or "bearer of Christ." The name was often given to children born on Christmas Day or around the Christmas season.

In England, the surname Christopher can be traced back to the 13th century. One of the earliest recorded examples is Robert Christofer, mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275. The surname was also found in other parts of England, such as Yorkshire, where it was recorded as Cristofre in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379.

In Scotland, the surname Christopher was often spelled as Cristor or Cristofer. It is believed to have been introduced by Anglo-Norman settlers in the 12th and 13th centuries. Some early examples include William Cristor, mentioned in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, and Robert Cristofer, recorded in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1359.

The surname Christopher has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the most famous bearers of the name was Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer credited with the European discovery of the Americas. Another notable figure was Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593), an English playwright and poet who was a contemporary of William Shakespeare.

In the 17th century, Christopher Wren (1632-1723) was a prominent English architect who designed numerous buildings, including St. Paul's Cathedral in London. Christopher Dock (1698-1771) was a German-American educator and author who wrote an influential book on teaching methods.

During the 18th century, Christopher Smart (1722-1771) was an English poet and translator best known for his work "A Song to David." In the 19th century, Christopher Sholes (1819-1890) was an American inventor who played a crucial role in the development of the first commercially successful typewriter.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the surname Christopher throughout history. The name has a rich heritage and has been carried by people from various walks of life, including explorers, writers, architects, educators, and inventors.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Christopher

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Christopher.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Christopher was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Christopher has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Christopher was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Christopher, please contact us.

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