Christobal

Meaning & origin

Christobal is a Spanish variant of Christopher that has never been widely used in the United States. Its peak year was 2002, but even then it remained uncommon. The name has been on a declining trajectory since 2001, and its 2025 rank of 9,714 places it among the rarest names in the dataset, with only 1 in 244,011 boys receiving it. While never ranking among the top 1,000, Christobal has been recorded consistently since 1922, suggesting a steady but minimal presence among Spanish-speaking communities. The name is typically spelled with an accent (Cristóbal) in Spanish, which the respelling Christobal omits, but both forms share the same origin and meaning.

Christobal is a Spanish form of Christopher, which derives from the Greek name Christophoros, meaning 'bearer of Christ.' The name was popularized by Saint Christopher, the legendary third-century martyr and patron saint of travelers. In Spanish-speaking cultures, Christobal has been used since the medieval period, though it remains less common than the standard Cristóbal.