In Greek, Christopher means Bearer of Christ. His story is told in the 'Golden Legend': he wanted to serve the world's greatest ruler but could not find who this might be. A hermit suggested he serve Christ by helping the poor.
Christopher, a man of giant stature, set himself to help people ford a wide river. One night as he slept, he heard the voice of a child calling, 'Come and bear me over'. The saint carried the child over, but found him very heavy and had to rely on his staff. Afterwards the Christ Child revealed himself, saying Christopher had carried the weight of the world.