Explore the Family Name Christopher
The meaning of Christopher
English, German, West Indian (mainly Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua and Barbuda, and British Virgin Islands), and African (mainly Nigeria and Tanzania): from the English and German personal name Christopher, from Greek Christophoros ‘Christ-bearing’ (see Christ 1). This was borne by a rather obscure 3rd-century Christian martyr. His name was relatively common among early Christians, who desired to bear Jesus Christ metaphorically with them in their daily lives. Subsequently, the name was explained by a folk etymology according to which the saint carried the infant Christ across a ford and so became the patron saint of travelers. Despite the widespread veneration and depiction of this saint, this was not a very common personal name in medieval England, and may in some instances have a habitational origin, for someone living for example in Saint Christopher parish (Saint Christopher le Stocks, London). In North America, the English form of the surname has absorbed the German variant Christoffer and cognates from other languages, e.g. Hungarian Kristóf and Czech, Slovak, Slovenian, and Croatian Krištof (see Kristof). The usual German form of the name is Christoph.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Christopher in the United States?
The popularity of the surname "Christopher" has seen a slight decrease over the years, according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. The ranking of the surname dropped from 1124 in 2000 to 1214 in 2010, representing a change of -8.01. The count of people with this surname saw a minor increase from 28,493 in 2000 to 29,067 in 2010, a 2.01% growth. However, the proportion per 100,000 people decreased by -6.72, from 10.56 to 9.85.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,124 | #1,214 | -8.01% |
| Count | 28,493 | 29,067 | 2.01% |
| Proportion per 100k | 10.56 | 9.85 | -6.72% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Christopher
On the ethnicity front, census data shows shifts in the ethnic identities associated with the surname "Christopher". In 2000, 76.74% identified as White, which decreased slightly to 73.71% in 2010. There was an increase in those identifying as Black, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and American Indian and Alaskan Native. The percentage of Blacks rose from 17.44% in 2000 to 18.90% in 2010. Similarly, the proportion of Hispanics grew from 2.61% to 3.45%, and the Asian/Pacific Islander category increased from 0.95% to 1.27%. The American Indian and Alaskan Native category also saw a modest rise from 0.36% to 0.50%. Lastly, those identifying with two or more races increased from 1.90% to 2.17%. This data is based on the Decennial U.S. Census.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 76.74% | 73.71% | -3.95% |
| Black | 17.44% | 18.9% | 8.37% |
| Hispanic | 2.61% | 3.45% | 32.18% |
| Two or More Races | 1.9% | 2.17% | 14.21% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.95% | 1.27% | 33.68% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.36% | 0.5% | 38.89% |
Christopher ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Christopher is British & Irish, which comprises 45.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (19.6%) and Italian (7.8%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Nigerian, Greek & Balkan, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 45.1% |
| French & German | 19.6% |
| Italian | 7.8% |
| Other | 27.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Christopher
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Christopher have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 75.00% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 75.00% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 75.00% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 74.40% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 74.40% |
What Christopher haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Christopher is R-U152, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-U152 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-P311, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Weber, Wright, Mason, Miller, Brown, Nicholas, Wagner, Johnson, Hoffman, Walter.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Christopher surname are: H1, H, V. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to the nomadic Tuareg of the Sahara
Though haplogroup H1 rarely reaches high frequencies beyond western Europe, over 60% of eastern Tuareg in Libya belong to haplogroup H1. The Tuareg call themselves the Imazghan, meaning “free people.” They are an isolated, semi-nomadic people who inhabit the West-Central Sahara and are known today for a distinctive dark blue turban worn by the men, and for their long history as gatekeepers of the desert.How did women carrying H1 make it all the way from western Europe to this isolated community? They likely migrated from Spain across the Strait of Gibraltar into Morocco after the Last Ice Age, where they were assimilated into the Berbers of the Mediterranean coast. Then, about 5,000 years ago, the Sahara shifted from a period of relative habitable conditions to its dramatically arid desert environment. This shift may have caused migrations throughout the Sahara, prompting the ancient Tuaregs to meet and mingle with the Berbers, bringing H1 lineages into their population.
What do people with the surname Christopher have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Christopher" Surname 47.7%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Christopher" Surname 26.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Christopher" Surname 25.6%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Christopher" Surname 18.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Christopher?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Christopher are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition