Christopher vs Paschal
Christopher and Paschalcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 1988, Christopher was ranked #16 and Paschal #271 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Christopher and Paschal over time
Christopher and Paschal appear together in 1 published list, across 20 years of shared records. Christopher held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Paschal in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Paschal reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Christopher in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys20 shared years, 1964–1988
Christopher held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Paschal in 0.
Highest recorded here: Christopher #16 in 1988, Paschal #119 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1988: Christopher #16, Paschal #271.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Christopher | Paschal |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | From Late Greek Christophoros, combining 'Christos' (Christ) with 'phero' ('to bear') — 'bearing Christ'. Associated with the legend of Saint Christopher carrying the young Jesus across a river. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Greek | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkɹɪs.tə.fəɹ/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #121 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #271 (1988) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 65/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 58/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Christopher has a recorded origin (Greek); Paschal does not have one recorded yet.
- Christopher has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Paschal.
- A meaning is recorded for Christopher; Paschal doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in IE.
How each name got here
Christopher
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #306 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2014
Highest recorded position: #2 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1985 (recorded 1952–2014).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #311 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Paschal
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #119 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1964–1988
Highest recorded position: #119 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–1988).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent1988
Most recently recorded at #271 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1988.
Republic of Ireland · Boys