2000
#1,124
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 28,493
First available Census row
Per 100,000 10.56
Uncommon Last name
Christopher
A surname derived from the given name, referring to a person who carried Christ in their heart or followed Christ.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 29,026 Americans carry the last name Christopher. That puts it at #1,369 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.47 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,809 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Christopher surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Christopher with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
29K
1 in 11,809
Census rank
#1,369
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
25K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 25,312 bearers of the surname Christopher in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.47 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1369th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Christopher, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.1%. The next largest groups are Black (19.3%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Christopher
The surname Christopher originated in England and Scotland during the medieval period. It is derived from the ancient Greek name Christophoros, which means "Christ-bearer" or "bearer of Christ." The name was often given to children born on Christmas Day or around the Christmas season.
In England, the surname Christopher can be traced back to the 13th century. One of the earliest recorded examples is Robert Christofer, mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275. The surname was also found in other parts of England, such as Yorkshire, where it was recorded as Cristofre in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379.
In Scotland, the surname Christopher was often spelled as Cristor or Cristofer. It is believed to have been introduced by Anglo-Norman settlers in the 12th and 13th centuries. Some early examples include William Cristor, mentioned in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, and Robert Cristofer, recorded in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1359.
The surname Christopher has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the most famous bearers of the name was Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer credited with the European discovery of the Americas. Another notable figure was Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593), an English playwright and poet who was a contemporary of William Shakespeare.
In the 17th century, Christopher Wren (1632-1723) was a prominent English architect who designed numerous buildings, including St. Paul's Cathedral in London. Christopher Dock (1698-1771) was a German-American educator and author who wrote an influential book on teaching methods.
During the 18th century, Christopher Smart (1722-1771) was an English poet and translator best known for his work "A Song to David." In the 19th century, Christopher Sholes (1819-1890) was an American inventor who played a crucial role in the development of the first commercially successful typewriter.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the surname Christopher throughout history. The name has a rich heritage and has been carried by people from various walks of life, including explorers, writers, architects, educators, and inventors.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Christopher
Among Census respondents with the surname Christopher, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.1%. The next largest groups are Black (19.3%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Christopher bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Christopher surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White70.1% · 17,736
- Black or African American19.3% · 4,885
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 1,078
- Two or more races3.9% · 990
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 505
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 118
Timeline
Historical Census data for Christopher
Christopher appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#1,214
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 29,067
+574 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 9.85
Rank movement Down 90 places
2020
#1,369
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,312
-3,755 bearers (-12.9%)
Per 100,000 8.47
Rank movement Down 155 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,124 | 28,493 | 10.56 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,214 | 29,067 | 9.85 | +574 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 90 places |
| 2020 | #1,369 | 25,312 | 8.47 | -3,755 bearers (-12.9%) | Down 155 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Christopher surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,214 | #1,369 | -12.8% |
| Count | 29,067 | 25,312 | -12.9% |
| Per 100K | 9.85 | 8.47 | -14.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Christopher bearers went from 29,067 to 25,312 (-12.9% change). The surname moved down 155 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,214 to #1,369.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Christopher
FAQ
Christopher surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Christopher?
Name Census estimates that about 29,026 living Americans carry the surname Christopher. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,809 residents.
How common is Christopher?
Christopher ranks #1,369 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.47 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 25,312 people with the surname Christopher. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (29,026), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.47 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.47 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Christopher.
Has Christopher become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Christopher went from 29,067 recorded bearers to 25,312. That is a decrease of 3,755 (-12.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,214 to #1,369.
What does the Census say about the background of Christopher?
Among Census respondents with the surname Christopher, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.1%. The next largest groups are Black (19.3%) and Hispanic (4.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Christopher in the 2020 Census, accounting for 70.1% (17,736 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Christopher appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (70.1%), Black (19.3%), Hispanic (4.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Christopher (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Christopher mean?
A surname derived from the given name, referring to a person who carried Christ in their heart or followed Christ. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Christopher (8.47 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Christopher?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Christopher, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.