| Christopher | |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male |
| Origin | |
| Word/Name | Greek |
| Meaning | Χριστόφορος (Christóphοros), 'Christ bearer' |
| Other names | |
| Related names | Chris, Christo, Christoph, Kit, Kester, Topher, "Criffa", Cristobal and Christy |
Christopher (sometimes Kristoffer) is the English version of a Europe-wide name derived from the greek name Χριστόφορος (Christoforos). The constituent parts are Χριστός, "Christ" and φέρειν (phérein), "bear": the "Christ bearer" or "the one who bears Christ (in his soul)". The name originates in the Christian legend of St. Christopher.
As a given, or first name, Christopher has been in use since the 15th century. In Denmark the name was borne by three kings (their names are usually spelled Christoffer), and included the 15th-century Christopher of Bavaria who also ruled Norway and Sweden.
In English, Christopher may be abbreviated as Chris, Kit, Kip , Chip, Topher, Toph, Cris, Kris, and Christo. In parts of Ireland, the abbreviations Christy, Cricky or Crick are also used. It was frequently the most popular male first name in the United Kingdom during the 1980s, having been in the top 20 since the 1940s, but its popularity had steadily fallen since then - by 2009 it was the 94th most popular male first name.[1]