Christopherson
A patronymic surname meaning “son of Christopher,” ultimately from the Greek name Christopher, “bearer of Christ.”
The #5,673 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 50,490 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Christopherson is a patronymic surname formed from the personal name Christopher plus the English patronymic ending -son. The given name Christopher comes from Greek Christophoros, meaning “Christ-bearer” or “bearer of Christ.” In Scandinavian usage the equivalent form Kristofferson is common, and older surname dictionaries note Christopherson as a likely English or anglicized rendering of that type of formation.
History
19th-century surname writers treated Christopherson chiefly as a derivative of the forename Christopher, and some linked it to Scandinavian Kristofferson forms. It appears in historical records from the early modern period and was noted in English, Scottish, and Manx contexts, where related forms were sometimes spelled in varied ways. The name remained uncommon but continued into North America, where it is documented in census and local-record material.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older Manx onomastic writing says Cristalson and Crystal were local corruptions of Christopher and Christopherson, showing how flexible spelling could be in parish records.
From the historical record
“probably Chrystall. Also Kitt and Kitson. CHRISTOPHERSON. See Christopher. CHRYSTALL. Probably a corruption of Christie for Christopher. CHUMLE Y. A contraction of Cholmon- deley. CHURCH. From residence near one. In the H.R. this name is found under va- rious forms, as Atte Cbirche, De la Chirke, Ecclesia, De…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom