Krzysztof
The third most-given boy's name in Poland, even as it slips: fewer than 900 newborns last year against the hundreds of thousands of men already carrying it. Its Greek root was built to mean "bearing Christ".
Krzysztof Pronunciation
Krzysztof is pronounced KSHIHSH-tof (/ˈkʂɨʂtɔf/).
What Krzysztof means
Where Krzysztof comes from and what it has meant to the people who carry it.
The name comes from Greek Christophoros, built from Christos and a verb meaning "to bear," so it reads as "bearing Christ." Polish reshaped that ancient compound into Krzysztof. The short gloss, niosący Chrystusa, keeps the old sense.
The legend of Saint Christopher gave the meaning a face. In the story he carries a child across a river and finds the weight almost too great, because the child turns out to be Christ. That saint became a patron of travelers, and the name spread west as Christoph and further as Christopher.
In Poland the name lives in several forms. Friends shorten it to Krzysiek. A daughter might carry the feminine Krzysztofa.
On the official form at the urząd, the full Krzysztof still means niosący Chrystusa.
How many people are named Krzysztof
1 in 34 men in Poland is named Krzysztof. 636,785 people carry it in the 2025 register: rank #3 among male names.
Krzysztof's popularity over time
878 boys were given the name in 2025, ranking #76 among newborns. It has been falling steadily since 2000. Still the #3 name among living men, even as it slips to #76 among newborns.
Where Krzysztof is most popular
Krzysztof is most popular in Podlaskie, 36% above the national average (399 boys born 2019–2025), followed by Masovian (+20%) and Świętokrzyskie (+14%). It is least common in Lubusz and Opole, 29% and 25% below average respectively.
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Podlaskie399 boys born+36%
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Masovian1,899 boys born+20%
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Świętokrzyskie281 boys born+14%
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Lublin512 boys born+12%
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Lesser Poland1,063 boys born+5%
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Pomeranian654 boys born0%
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Warmian-Masurian319 boys born0%
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Silesian1,017 boys born0%
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Łódź552 boys born−2%
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Lower Silesian666 boys born−5%
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West Pomeranian354 boys born−6%
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Subcarpathian457 boys born−15%
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Kuyavian-Pomeranian403 boys born−17%
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Greater Poland753 boys born−22%
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Opole154 boys born−25%
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Lubusz157 boys born−29%
Krzysztof as a middle name
Krzysztof is a first name for 636,785 men in Poland and a middle name for another 330,379, a 66/34 split. In the men's middle-name ranking it sits 7th, between Józef (381,053) and Adam (279,662).
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5
399,071Paweł
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6
381,053Józef
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7330,379Krzysztof
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8
279,662Adam
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9
253,972Tomasz
When Krzysztof celebrates name day
Krzysztof appears 1 time in the Polish name day calendar. The main date is 25 July.