Christopher
From Late Latin Christophorus, from Koine Greek Χρῑστόφορος (Khrīstóphoros, “carrier of Christ”), from Ancient Greek Χριστός (Khristós, “Christ”) + φόρος (phóros…
Every Christopher since 1880 — 2,079,103 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Christopher
Christopher is a top-100 name for boys in the United States, ranked #68 in 2025 with 4,748 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 2,079,103 American babies have been named Christopher. Its peak came in 1984, when 60,411 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1980s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Christopher stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Christopher year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | 4,748 | #68 |
| 2024 | — | — | 5,082 | #61 |
| 2023 | 6 | #13,805 | 5,198 | #55 |
| 2022 | 5 | #15,820 | 5,589 | #55 |
| 2021 | 11 | #9,099 | 5,863 | #52 |
| 2020 | 11 | #9,073 | 6,216 | #47 |
| 2019 | 5 | #16,062 | 7,022 | #44 |
| 2018 | 9 | #10,752 | 7,341 | #42 |
| 2017 | — | — | 8,319 | #39 |
| 2016 | 13 | #8,495 | 9,106 | #36 |
| 2015 | 15 | #7,708 | 9,853 | #32 |
| 2014 | 16 | #7,387 | 10,390 | #30 |
| 2013 | 15 | #7,843 | 10,878 | #26 |
| 2012 | 19 | #6,663 | 11,921 | #23 |
| 2011 | 18 | #6,922 | 13,027 | #20 |
| 2010 | 11 | #9,929 | 14,299 | #13 |
| 2009 | 23 | #5,932 | 16,368 | #10 |
| 2008 | 39 | #4,025 | 17,966 | #9 |
| 2007 | 25 | #5,561 | 20,030 | #6 |
| 2006 | 39 | #3,869 | 19,688 | #8 |
| 2005 | 47 | #3,274 | 19,174 | #10 |
| 2004 | 97 | #1,928 | 19,636 | #10 |
| 2003 | 42 | #3,424 | 20,753 | #9 |
| 2002 | 29 | #4,298 | 21,689 | #8 |
| 2001 | 40 | #3,380 | 23,132 | #5 |
| 2000 | 50 | #2,868 | 24,936 | #5 |
| 1995 | 104 | #1,510 | 32,679 | #3 |
| 1990 | 188 | #981 | 52,362 | #2 |
| 1985 | 415 | #492 | 59,609 | #2 |
| 1980 | 312 | #594 | 49,079 | #2 |
| 1975 | 302 | #560 | 46,575 | #3 |
| 1970 | 217 | #710 | 41,747 | #6 |
| 1965 | 83 | #1,179 | 24,640 | #18 |
| 1960 | 51 | #1,564 | 15,361 | #29 |
| 1955 | 28 | #2,028 | 7,922 | #49 |
| 1950 | 31 | #1,685 | 4,835 | #72 |
| 1945 | 27 | #1,599 | 1,138 | #160 |
| 1940 | 7 | #3,566 | 499 | #241 |
| 1935 | — | — | 269 | #334 |
| 1930 | — | — | 267 | #344 |
| 1925 | — | — | 286 | #345 |
| 1920 | — | — | 293 | #339 |
| 1915 | — | — | 242 | #341 |
| 1910 | — | — | 70 | #296 |
| 1905 | — | — | 50 | #280 |
| 1900 | — | — | 55 | #278 |
| 1895 | — | — | 60 | #227 |
| 1890 | — | — | 66 | #201 |
| 1885 | — | — | 71 | #183 |
| 1880 | — | — | 95 | #142 |
Famous people named Christopher
- Christopher Columbus Explorer · 1451–1506
- Christopher Lee Actor · 1922–2015
- Christopher Lloyd Actor · b. 1938
- Christopher Plummer Actor · b. 1929
- Christopher Marlowe Writer · 1564–1593
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Christopher mean?
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”) +…
How popular is the name Christopher in 2025?
Christopher ranked #68 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 4,748 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Christopher?
2,079,103 babies have been named Christopher in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Christopher most popular?
Christopher peaked in 1984, when 60,411 newborns received the name.
Is Christopher a boy or girl name?
Christopher is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Christopher rising or falling?
Christopher is declining — less popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Christopher?
Well-known people named Christopher include Christopher Columbus (explorer), Christopher Lee (actor), Christopher Lloyd (actor).