The Christopher Paradox: Why Was Everyone Named Chris in the 1980s?

If you were born around 1980, like me, you probably grew up surrounded by a small army of people named Chris.

Whether it was Chris from your soccer team, Chris who sat behind you in math class, or one of the 12,000 Hollywood Chrises like Pratt, Hemsworth, Evans, or Pine, it seemed like every other guy was named Christopher.

It wasn’t just you. It was real. But the weird part? No one can explain why.

It’s not like there was a famous Christopher who suddenly made the name trendy. No bestselling book, no hot TV character, no president named Chris (can you imagine a President Chris?). The name Christopher just… exploded.

It was the second most popular boy’s name in the U.S. in the 1980s, but it wasn’t just an American thing — it was…