Cristofer

Cristofer is a minimalistic Americanized respelling of Christopher. The traditional English spelling of Christopher comes from the Greek "Khristophoros" which, broken down into each Greek element, means Christ (Khristos) and "to bear" (pherein). Christopher basically means “bearer of Christ”. The name became popularized among early Christians who literally translated Christopher to mean “bearing Christ in my heart”. Inspiration behind the name’s usage is also owed to Saint Christopher, a 3rd century saint around whom several medieval legends were developed. According to some traditions, Christopher was a Roman citizen who lived during the period of Christian persecutions; he was a man of great height and strength. After finding Christ, Christopher served the Lord by helping people cross a dangerous river (where many people were drowning in their attempts). One day a small child asked to be carried across the river, and so Christopher hoisted the tot on his back and proceeded. As he got half way across, the river began to rise and the child became intensely heavy. So heavy it was said that he carried the weight of humankind upon him! When the duo made it to the other side of the river safely, Christopher questioned the child. The child revealed himself “I am Christ your king, whom you are serving by this work.” This is how St. Christopher became the patron saint to travelers and is especially invoked during rough journeys involving inclement weather. Christopher became very popular in England just after the Middle Ages (around the 15th century) and it was likewise popular in Scandinavian countries (where it’s usually rendered as Kristoffer). The Italian-born explorer Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) is one of the most famous name bearers (although his name in his native Italian was Cristoforo). The Spanish use Cristóbal, the French Christophe and the Germans spell it Christoph. Cristofer is not a “legitimate” spelling in any language as far as we can tell. Cristopher and Cristofer seem to be American spelling inventions.