Surname Christophson - Meaning and Origin
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Christophson: What does the surname Christophson mean?
The last name Christophson is of Scandinavian origin and probably descends from the personal name "Christoffer". The term "son" was added to the personal name, creating a patronymic surname. This means that the name is derived from the name of the father, or in some cases the grandfather, making it a patronymic of home.
The first recorded example of the use of the name is in Norway, where the name Christoffer appears in the 13th century as a given name. Later, during the Middle Ages, it spread from Norway to Denmark and Sweden and is now a common patronymic throughout Scandinavia and beyond.
The earliest record of the name Christophson is from 1566 in northern Sweden, where it is recorded in a census and is referred to as a patronymic of Christoffer. From this record it is believed to have become a widespread surname. The second recorded instance of the name is in Lund, Sweden in 1580.
The meaning behind Christophson is the descendant of the son of Christoffer. This epithet dates from the days of when surnames were first adopted and denote a person's ancestry and family history. The name was derived from a personal name, which itself was originally derived from the given name "Christoffer" meaning a follower of Christ or a Christian.
Order DNA origin analysisChristophson: Where does the name Christophson come from?
The last name Christophson is most commonly found in Scandinavian countries today, particularly Norway and Sweden. It is an Anglicized spelling of the Nordic name, "Kristoffersen," which is a patronymic meaning "son of Kristoff." In 2019, there were approximately 1,700 people in Norway with the last name Kristoffersen, 800 of whom resided in the municipality of Østfold. Within Sweden, the name is much less common, with fewer than 500 people having the last name Kristoffersen and the majority of them residing in the county of Gotland.
Various spellings of the name have been adopted in different locations. Other variations of the same name include Kristopherson, Kristerhansen, and Kristiansen. The name has also been altered to reflect new surname needs, for instance Thomas Kristoffersson became Thomas Kristofferson when he moved to America.
Despite origins as a patronymic, Christophson is no longer used in this manner and is instead passed on as a standard family name. The vast majority of families carrying this surname are related by blood, with the only exception being those who adopted the name.
Variations of the surname Christophson
The surname Christophson is derived from the German name ‘Christoffel’, and it has a variety of alternative spellings and surnames. Common variations of this surname are Christoffel, Christophe, Christophel, Kristofel, Kristoffel, Christoffersen, Christophson, and Kristofferson.
The alternative spellings of Christophson are Christoffels, Christopfel, Christophel, Christofel, Christoffel, Kristoffely, Kristoffels, and Kristofferson. A slightly different spelling of the same original surname is Chrystofson.
Surnames that may indicate a person with common ancestry with the Christophson surname are Christy, Christophersen, Christoffersen, Christoffesen, Christopher, Christophel, Christophsen, Christoffels, Christofel, Christoph, Christoffel, Christophelson, Christophey, Kristoffersen, Kristoffersen, Kristoffesen, Kristophson, Christopfel, Christophson, and Christofferson.
All of these variant spellings and surnames are likely to be related to one another, as they are all derived from the same original surname. The spelling of Christophson itself can also be used interchangeably with the spelling of Christoffel, and is sometimes seen in records from the 17th century.
Famous people with the name Christophson
- Jeffrey Christophson: Actor, Screenwriter, and Producer.
- Zachary Christophson: Co-Founder and CEO of TravelBeat.
- Haakon Christophson: Danish Actor, Theatre Director and Art Director.
- Reidun Christophson: Norwegian Politician and Member of Parliament and Leader of the Labor Party.
- Erik Christophson: Swedish Cinematographer, Film and TV Director.
- Jens Christophson: Danish Painter and Printmaker.
- Jonny Christophson: Scottish Singer and Songwriter.
- Gustav Christophson: Swedish Politician, Lawyer and Member of Parliament.
- John Christophson: American Psychologist and Author.
- Riccardo Christophson: Italian Musician and Composer.