Biography

Christopher is the English version of a Europe-wide name derived from the Greek name Χριστόφορος (Christóforos). The constituent parts are Χριστός (Christós), "Christ" or "Anointed", and φέρειν (férein), "bear": the "Christ-bearer". (Note φέρειν is not a native Greek word — it comes from the Latin verb fere with the meaning listed above. This verb also shows up in the English word Lucifer, “Light bearer” — literally “he bears light”.) Christopher is related to the names Chris meaning "Anointed" and christop meaning "follower of Christ" or "little Christ" As a given, or first name, Christopher has been in use since the 10th century. In English, Christopher may be abbreviated as "Chris", and sometimes "Kit". Another less common abbreviation is "Topher" or "Toph". It was frequently the most popular male first name in the United Kingdom, having been in the top twenty in England and Wales from the 1940s until 1995, although it has since dropped out of the top 100. The name is most common in England and not so common in Wales, Scotland, or Ireland.