Kit Harington's Real Name: Christopher Catesby Harington

Quick answer: Kit Harington's real name is Christopher Catesby Harington. He was born on December 26, 1986, in London. His parents called him Kit from birth, and he has said he did not learn his legal first name until he was 11. He played Jon Snow on HBO's Game of Thrones (2011–19) (Library of Congress; Interview Magazine).

Real name and early life

The Library of Congress name authority files him as "Harington, Kit, 1986-," with the variant "Harington, Christopher Catesby." One citation reads "birth name, Christopher Catesby Harington" and places his birth in Worcester. Another gives December 26, 1986, in London. The Golden Globes and TV Insider also say London, and he told Interview he is "from London and Worcester."

In that 2013 Interview conversation he said, "I was called Kit from day one, really, I only found out my name was Christopher when I was 11." On a school placement test he wrote "Kit Harington" and was told, "No, you're Christopher Harington, I'm afraid." He stuck with Kit "because I felt that's who I was. I'm not really a 'Chris.'" He told Candis magazine the same story, as reported by Digital Spy.

The Golden Globes says he was born to a former playwright and a businessman. He became interested in acting at 14 after seeing Waiting for Godot. He studied drama at Worcester Sixth Form College and graduated from London's Central School of Speech and Drama in 2008.

Career highlights

While still at drama school he was cast as Albert, the lead in the National Theatre's War Horse, which went on to the West End. TV Insider says he next appeared in Posh at the Royal Court, then won the role of Jon Snow. Game of Thrones premiered in 2011 and made him an international star.

His films include Silent Hill: Revelation (2012), Pompeii and Testament of Youth (both 2014), and Brimstone (2016). He voiced Eret in How to Train Your Dragon 2 and The Hidden World. He played Robert Catesby in the miniseries Gunpowder (2017) and Dane Whitman in Marvel's Eternals (2021). Other credits include Henry Muck in HBO's Industry, Extrapolations (2023), Blood for Dust (2023), and Sydney Carton in a 2026 A Tale of Two Cities series.

He married his Game of Thrones co-star Rose Leslie in 2018. Digital Spy reports they have two children.

Name notes for searchers

Kit is the name he has used since birth. He told Interview that only officials, such as when he applies for a new passport, ever call him Christopher. Catesby is his middle name. LOC also records the misspelling "Kit Harrington," with a double r.