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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; 1551 Christopherus (nom) StMartF p. 57; 1552 Christopherus (nom) ibid. p. 57; 1553 Christoferus (nom) ibid. p. 57; 1557 Christopherus (nom) ibid. p. 59
Dutch
● 1588 Christoffels AuFr Berge; 1591 Christophel ibid. Berghe; 1594 Christoffel ibid. Berghe
Middle English
● 1436 Cristofre EEW p. 107
Early Modern English
● 1511 Crystofer OrpingtonKe p. 75; 1522 Cristofer SRS-XXI p. 3; 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 COmar-vol5 p. 5, 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 COmar-vol5 p. 9, 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
Old French
● 1292 Cristoffle 1292paris p. 1
Middle French
● 1418 Christofle HGParis p. 379; 1423 Christofle favier 497; 1438 Christofle ibid. 50; 1563 Christofle RegPCC-1 p. 40; 1565 Christofle ibid. p. 141; 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
Ukraine
Latin
● 1469 Christofori (gen) AGZ-18 33
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 2016, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2016/1/name/Christopher.