Cristopher

Cristopher is mainly an Americanized respelling; a small alteration whereby the first “h” is dropped. 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 was always popular among early Christians who literally translated the name to mean “bearing Christ in their hearts”. The name was also revered in the name of 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 dying 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 over 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. Cristopher is not a “legitimate” spelling in any language as far as we can tell. Cristopher and Cristofer seem to be American spelling inventions.