Christopher
Boy name · #68 in 2025 · Well-known
How old is the name Christopher? In official American birth records, Christopher has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
In 2025, 4,748 baby boys were named Christopher, placing it at #68 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #32, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 379 boys born in 2025 was named Christopher.
The 145-year story
Christopher first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 95 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1984, when 60,021 boys were named Christopher — good for #2 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Christopher per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Christopher against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Christopher in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Christopher is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Christopher is most common
Geography matters for names, and Christopher is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Christopher is most common in NM (5.7 per 1,000), MS (5.4 per 1,000), DE (5.4 per 1,000), DC (5.1 per 1,000), NJ (4.6 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 3.2 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Christopher is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Christopher
Christopher carries a whole family of nicknames and spellings — names that will feel like the same name in a classroom.
ChristopherChrisTopher
Counted as one name, the Christopher family went to about 5,179 boys in 2025 — together they'd rank around #60, versus #68 for Christopher alone.
Names like Christopher
Statistically, parents drawn to Christopher tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Jonathan, Andrew, Adam, Aaron, and Matthew.
JonathanAndrewAdamAaronMatthewAnthonyJoshuaRyan
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Christopher | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4,748 | #68 |
| 2024 | 5,082 | #61 |
| 2023 | 5,198 | #55 |
| 2022 | 5,589 | #55 |
| 2021 | 5,863 | #52 |
| 2020 | 6,216 | #47 |
| 2019 | 7,022 | #44 |
| 2018 | 7,341 | #42 |
| 2017 | 8,319 | #39 |
| 2016 | 9,106 | #36 |
| 2015 | 9,853 | #32 |
| 2014 | 10,390 | #30 |
| 2013 | 10,878 | #26 |
| 2012 | 11,921 | #23 |
| 2011 | 13,027 | #20 |
| 2010 | 14,299 | #13 |
| 2009 | 16,368 | #10 |
| 2008 | 17,966 | #9 |
| 2007 | 20,030 | #6 |
| 2006 | 19,688 | #8 |
| 2005 | 19,174 | #10 |
| 2004 | 19,636 | #10 |
| 2003 | 20,753 | #9 |
| 2002 | 21,689 | #8 |
| 2001 | 23,132 | #5 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Christopher?
In official American birth records, the name Christopher first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 95 newborn boys received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Christopher a popular boy name?
Christopher ranked #68 among boys in 2025 with 4,748 babies given the name — firmly in the top 100, so yes, it’s a popular choice. Ten years earlier it ranked #32.
When was the name Christopher most popular?
Christopher peaked in 1984, when 60,021 American boys received the name (ranked #2 that year). Since 1984 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Christopher?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 379 newborn American boys was named Christopher. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "well-known".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.