Christopher

Traditionally interpreted as “bearer of Christ,” reflecting Christian-era Greek formation.

Christopher is a widely used masculine given name across many languages and regions. In Christian tradition, the name is historically understood through a religious lens, and that context is part of why it spread so broadly in Europe and later in English-speaking countries. Etymologically, Christopher is commonly traced to the Greek name Christophoros, often interpreted as Christos (“Christ”) combined with a root meaning “to bear” or “to carry.” Because this interpretation is explicitly tied to Christian usage, it’s best described neutrally as a traditional meaning rather than as a general-purpose word definition. In English, pronunciation is commonly KRIS-tuh-fer (with variants by region). Nicknames like “Chris” are extremely common, and you may also see spellings like “Kristopher” or “Cristopher” that keep essentially the same spoken form for many speakers.

Etymology: From Greek Christophoros, commonly interpreted as Christos (“Christ”) + a verb stem meaning “to bear/carry.” In Christian tradition, the name’s meaning is closely tied to that religious context.