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Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

Christopher m. Greek Χριστός 'Christ' + Greek φέρειν 'to bear'.

The name of a 3rd C martyr, the earliest known bearer of the name, a 10th C Byzantine co-emperor, and a 15th C king of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway.

England
Latin
1431 Cristofero (dat) WillsInv LVI
Middle English
1436 Cristofre EEW p. 107
Early Modern English
1511 Crystofer OrpingtonKe p. 75; 1530 Cristofer LIWill-III p. 33; 1540 Christopher StAnthonlin p. 2; 1547 Christopher ibid. p. 6; 1548 Cristofer BarnstapleBap p. 6; 1551 Christofer StAnthonlin p. 8; 1554 Christopher BEmar-vol1 p. 4, bruton-vol1 p. 108; 1555 Christopher ibid. p. 108; 1557 Christofer StAnthonlin p. 11; 1558 Christopher bruton-vol1 p. 109; 1559 Christopher SaxhamSf p. 1; 1560 Christopher DEmar-vol1 p. 80; 1561 Christofer HAmar-vol9 p. 67; 1562 Christofer StAnthonlin p. 15, Christopher SaxhamSf p. 1; 1563 Christopher BUmar-vol9 p. 3; 1564 Christopher SaxhamSf p. 2; 1565 Christofer StAnthonlin p. 17; 1566 Christopher ibid. p. 18; 1567 Christopher SaxhamSf p. 2; 1568 Christopher BUmar-vol9 p. 4; 1569 Christofer StAnthonlin p. 20, Christopher BUmar-vol9 p. 4; 1571 Christopher SaxhamSf p. 2; 1575 Christopher DEmar-vol1 p. 83; 1576 Christopher BUmar-vol2 p. 1; 1577 Christopher BUmar-vol9 p. 6; 1578 Christofer StAnthonlin p. 27, Cristofer ibid. p. 26; 1580 Christofer ibid. p. 27; 1581 Christofer ibid. p. 28, Christopher BEmar-vol1 p. 11, DEmar-vol2 p. 6; 1582 Cristofer StAnthonlin p. 28; 1584 Christopher BEmar-vol1 p. 12; 1585 Christopher DEmar-vol2 p. 12; 1588 Christopher BEmar-vol2 p. 3; 1589 Christopher ibid. p. 54, DEmar-vol2 p. 17; 1590 Christofer StAnthonlin p. 34, Christopher DEmar-vol2 p. 20; 1591 Christopher ibid. p. 22, Cristofer BUmar-vol2 p. 118; 1593 Christoffer ibid. p. 65, Christopher BEmar-vol1 p. 15, DEmar-vol2 p. 26; 1593/4 Chrystover HAmar-vol9 p. 92; 1594 Christopher DEmar-vol2 p. 30; 1595 Christofer StAnthonlin p. 37, Christopher DEmar-vol2 p. 32; 1596 Christopher BUmar-vol9 p. 9, DEmar-vol2 p. 33; 1596/7 Christopher HAmar-vol9 p. 51; 1597 Christopher SaxhamSf p. 5; 1598 Christofer HAmar-vol9 p. 93, StAnthonlin p. 39, Christopher DEmar-vol2 p. 38; 1599 Christopher ibid. p. 40
Estonia
Middle Low German
1592 Toffer Tiik1977 p. 285, Top ibid. p. 287
Early Modern Swedish
1587 Stoffer (nom) Hiiumaa p. 292
France
Latin
c823 Cristoforus (nom) irminon-vol2 17, Palatiolum; 1029x1033 Cristoforus (nom) CartStPC XII; 1138x62 Christoforus (nom) clairvaux-12thc 68, Christophorus (nom) ibid. 68; 1163–64 Christoforus (nom) ibid. 112; 1164 Christoforus (nom) ibid. 121; 1179 Christoforus (nom) ibid. 178; 1301 Christofori (gen) MemPic-vol17 p. 260, Xristophori (gen) ibid. p. 251; 1378 Christophoro (dat) hanquetvol1 2478
Middle French
1418 Christofle HGParis p. 379; 1423 Christofle favier 497; 1438 Christofle ibid. 50; 1588 Christofle raymond1588 p. 570
Germany
Latin
822x875 Christofero (abl) TradCorb §209; 1231 Christoforus (nom) CDL-1.1.1 XI; 1259 Cristofer (nom) ibid. XXXI; 1401 Cristofero (dat) HD1401 no. 47
Early New High German
1418 Christoffel (nom) mairhofer DCCVI; 1419 Christofel (nom) ibid. DCCIX, Christoffel (nom) ibid. DCCIX, Christoffeln (gen) ibid. DCCIX; 1421 Christoff (nom) ibid. DCCXVI, Christoffen (gen) ibid. DCCXVI; 1429 Christof (nom) ibid. DCCXXXI; 1497 Cristoff Nurn1497 p. 1, Cristoffell ibid. 2372
1400 Christel (nom) mairhofer DCLXVIII
Italy
Latin
1376 Cristofforo (abl) DouGen1 p. 59, Cristoforo (abl) ibid. p. 160; 1522x1532 Cristofaro (abl) DSF p. 54, 58; 1527 Christofori (gen) Rome1527 p. 83, Christoforus (nom) ibid. p. 84, Christophori (gen) ibid. p. 83
Latvia
Middle Low German
1512 Krystoffer Mettig1892 p. 4; 1565x1577 Christoffer Arbusow p. 97
Spain
Latin
1489 Christofori (gen) carbonell p. 35; 1490 Christofori (gen) ibid. p. 47
Catalan
1510 Christofol valencia1510 3238, Cristofol ibid. 1391
Spanish
1567 Cristobal SanzSerrano
Cite as: R. Le Get, J. Uckelman, S.L. Uckelman. "Christopher". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2015, no. 3. http://dmnes.org/2015/3/name/Christopher.