| Christopher | George | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Bearer of Christ | Farmer, earth-worker |
| Origin | Greek | Greek |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | KRIS-tuh-fer | JORJ |
| Syllables | 3 | 1 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1984 (60,021) | 1921 (27,476) |
| In 2025 | 4,748 | 2,848 |
| Trend | Declining | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Christopher | George |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 32,696 | 16,661 |
| 2010s | 102,156 | 28,407 |
| 2000s | 203,372 | 28,006 |
| 1990s | 360,287 | 35,246 |
| 1980s | 554,863 | 45,712 |
| 1970s | 475,423 | 64,757 |
| 1960s | 237,144 | 113,023 |
| 1950s | 78,333 | 181,031 |
| 1940s | 15,865 | 209,013 |
| 1930s | 2,731 | 192,289 |
| 1920s | 2,862 | 261,945 |
| 1910s | 1,960 | 176,609 |
| 1900s | 484 | 43,589 |
| 1890s | 668 | 43,358 |
| 1880s | 752 | 47,651 |
Christopher comes from the Greek Christophoros, “bearing Christ.” St Christopher, patron of travellers, is said to have carried the Christ child across a river.
George comes from the Greek Georgios, “farmer” or “earth-worker,” from gē (“earth”) and ergon (“work”). St George, the dragon-slayer, is the patron saint of England.
Christopher is more popular than George today: about 4,748 US babies were given the name Christopher in 2025, compared with 2,848 named George.
Christopher means Bearer of Christ (Greek origin), while George means Farmer, earth-worker (Greek origin).
In US records, Christopher first appears in 1880 and George in 1880, so Christopher has the longer recorded history.