Krzysztofa

Krzysztofa comes from Greek. Behind it stands Christophoros, a compound of Christos and the verb pherein, "to carry," which yields the sense "bearer of Christ." The masculine Krzysztof holds the same root, and so does the German variant Christoph. Krzysztofa is the woman's form, rarer than its brother.

Onto the name settled the legend of Saint Christopher, the giant who carried a child across a river and felt the world grow heavy on his shoulders. That old picture explains the short meaning without any stretch. To be named Krzysztofa is to answer, in one word, to "niosąca Chrystusa."

At full length the name shows up mostly on paper. At the urząd she signs all eleven letters; in ordinary talk the endings soften and shorten, and the diminutive Krzysiek, borrowed from the men, can attach to her just as easily. She keeps the July name-day of Saint Christopher, close to high summer. The saint became a patron of travelers, which is why his medal still rides on so many dashboards. The origin is Greek, the meaning is plain, and the name still points to the one who carries.