Christopher
Boy name · #68 in 2025 · Uniqueness 47/100
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, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Christopher against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Christopher in class?
Christopher scores 47 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Christopher is most common
Geography matters for names, and Christopher is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Christophers were TX (649), CA (516), FL (341), NY (306), GA (201). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
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
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. It scores 47/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.