Christopher History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Ireland 


The history of the name Christopher begins with the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from Christopher, an ancient and popular personal name which has been popular for many years as literally, the name means 'Bearer of Christ'.

"I have been told that all who bear the somewhat rare name of Christopherson hail from Furness, in North Lancashire. Anyway it is a native, and owes its origin to the treacherous sands of Morecombe and Duddon. The legend of St. Christopher is that he found an occupation in guiding passengers across a wide stream. One night he bare unawares the child Christ, and was about to sink under an ever-increasing weight, when the Saviour said, 'Thou bearest Him who beareth the sins of the world.' No doubt there would be a shrine to the Saint for belated travellers on Chapel Isle, opposite Conishead Priory. Many a babe would be dedicated to him in gratitude for some hairbreadth escape his father had experienced. " 1

Early Origins of the Christopher family

The surname Christopher was first found in North Lancashire at Furness (now known as Dalton-In-Furness. "The town derived its principal importance from the erection of the magnificent Abbey of Furness, founded in 1127, by Stephen, afterwards king of England, for monks of the Cistercian order, whom he removed from Tulketh, in Amounderness, to this valley, where, obtaining valuable grants, they continued for more than four centuries. " 2

Early History of the Christopher family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Christopher research. Another 69 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1225, 1245, 1295, 1558, 1613 and 1659 are included under the topic Early Christopher History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Christopher Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore, spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Christopher has been recorded under many different variations, including Christopher, Cristopher and others.

Early Notables of the Christopher family

Distinguished members of the family include

Christopher Ranking

In the United States, the name Christopher is the 1,182nd most popular surname with an estimated 24,870 people with that name. 4 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Christopher is ranked the 708th most popular surname with an estimated 61 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Christopher family to Ireland

Some of the Christopher family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Christopher migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Christopher or a variant listed above:

Christopher Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Christopher Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Christopher Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Christopher migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Christopher Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Christopher Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Christopher migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Christopher Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Christopher migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Christopher Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Christopher migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 17
Christopher Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Christopher (post 1700) +
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