Topher

Going to see the movie In Good Company tonight (still have plenty of tickets - so if you're in Central Mass let me know - show's at 7:30 at Showcase North). One of the things that has interested me is one of the star's names - Topher Grace (one of the stars of That 70's Show).

Many people don't recognize the name Topher as a shortening of the name Christopher (much like Beth is a shortening of the name Elizabeth). I guess Christopher Grace didn't have the same pizazz as Topher Grace.

I had never thought of shortening the name Christopher to Topher. The common shortening is to Chris (which is what I go by). The problem with Chris though is the fact that it is a uni-sex name. It could be a boy or a girl (I guess Topher could also be a boy or girl but I've never heard of a girl named Topher though I have heard a Boy Named Sue by Johnny Cash).

I've always been Chris except for when I took standardized tests as a kid. The standardized tests always gave you six letters for your first name. In those cases I always chose to write in C-H-R-I-S-T with the idea that nobody would flunk Christ on a test.

As a kid I always thought it would be cool if my first name had an extra "S". That way it could be Chris-stop-her. That would be a good name for a guard at a women's prison.

Topher has the extra utility of specifically being a shortening of Christopher whereas Chris could also be short for Christian. Also with a name Topher - nobody would ever ask you if that was with a "C" or a "K".

With the success of Topher Grace - I bet there are some parents and parents to be that think Topher is a cool name to name a kid without even realizing that it is in fact a shortening of Christopher. The name Christopher actually means "follower of Christ" - so I wonder if this next generation of Topher's will realize that their name means "follower of T"?

Anyway - I thought the name Topher was pretty interesting and worthy of comment.

Sincerely,

Topher Lynch