boy's name
Chris
KRIS (English)
- Origin Greek
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 1
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 179,347
the United States
#646
2025 births
Chris shortens two unrelated Greek names — Christopher, which means bearing Christ, and Christine, which means belonging to Christ. About 13 percent of recorded births are female, and it charts in five markets.
- Chris is a name of Greek origin.
- Peaked in 1961, when 8,774 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 7,692 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Chris Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 503 |
| 1890s | 396 |
| 1900s | 339 |
| 1910s | 1,124 |
| 1920s | 1,795 |
| 1930s | 2,102 |
| 1940s | 8,742 |
| 1950s | 32,265 |
| 1960s | 67,612 |
| 1970s | 27,154 |
| 1980s | 7,103 |
| 1990s | 5,395 |
| 2000s | 7,806 |
| 2010s | 5,648 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 2,433 |
What Chris Means
Chris means Christ-bearer if taken through Christopher, or a follower of Christ if taken through Christine. Both trace back to Christos, the anointed one, but by different Greek compounds.
Where Chris Comes From
Chris serves two names built on the same Greek root. Christopher is Christophoros — Christos joined to pherein, to carry — understood by early Christians as bearing Christ in the heart, with the giant-and-river legend invented later to explain the literal reading. Christine is Christiana, simply a Christian. Christos itself translates the Hebrew mashiach, the anointed one, so the shared element is a title rather than a name. Chris became a registered name in its own right in twentieth-century America, alongside Mike, Steve, Tony and Fred.
Chris in Use
Chris peaked in the United States in 1961, when 8,774 babies were registered, and is falling. It now ranks 439th in Ireland on 8 births, 646th in the United States on 431, 868th in France on 45 and 916th in England and Wales on 34, across 179,347 lifetime births in five markets. About 13 percent of recorded births are female.
How Popular Is Chris?
In 2025, Chris was given to 431 babies in the United States, ranking #646 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Chris Is Used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names That Peaked Alongside Chris
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Chris Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Chris over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Chris
- English KRIS /kɹɪs/
Chris in Other Languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Dutch
- Christopher Christine Kris Cris
- French
- Christine
- Greek
- Christopher
- Portuguese
- Cris
- Slovene
- Kris
- Spanish
- Cris
Sibling Names for Chris
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Chris — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Chris
What does the name Chris mean?
Christ-bearer through Christopher, or a follower of Christ through Christine.
Is Chris a girls' name?
For about 13 percent of recorded births, chiefly as a short form of Christine.
Is Chris a full name?
It is widely registered as one in America, alongside Mike, Steve and Tony.
How popular is Chris?
646th in the United States and 439th in Ireland.
How many syllables are in Chris?
Chris has 1 syllable.
Is Chris a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Chris currently ranks #439 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.