Kris
Kris was the 3218th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 37 babies. Its best year was 1963, when it ranked 344th; the most babies were born in 1962 (513). Over the last ten years it has moved down 952 places. More babies were named Kris in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Chris) short for Christopher, Christian or Christina · Greek, Latin, English
- Rank in 2025
- #3,218 boys, down 1,060 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 37boys
- Girls and boys
- 17% girls, 83% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1962513 babies
- Total since 1880
- 27,971babies recorded
What does the name Kris mean?
Kris is a spelling of Chris, pronounced the same way, so it shares Chris's meaning and origin.
Chris is a short form of Christopher and, less often, Christian, and for girls of Christina and similar names, as Wiktionary notes. DMNES explains Christopher as Greek Christos, Christ, plus pherein, to bear: "Christ-bearer." Christian and Christina come from the Latin word for a Christian. Wiktionary also records Dutch Chris as a shortening of Christiaan. Chris has been used in the US since 1880.
Χριστός (Ancient Greek, “Christ”)φέρειν (Ancient Greek, “to bear”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Christopher, Christian, Christina, Kris, Topher.
See also: Greek names, names that mean God.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Chris' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Christopher', DMNES (Durham University)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Christian', DMNES (Durham University)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Kris popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #11,463 | #3,218 | 8 | 37 |
| 2020 | #8,213 | #2,158 | 13 | 65 |
| 2010 | #7,735 | #2,494 | 16 | 50 |
| 2000 | #12,523 | #1,887 | 7 | 56 |
| 1990 | #3,576 | #1,246 | 30 | 79 |
| 1980 | #1,324 | #591 | 96 | 214 |
| 1970 | #470 | #393 | 437 | 415 |
| 1960 | #398 | #362 | 575 | 469 |
| 1950 | #871 | #675 | 104 | 106 |
| 1940 | #3,362 | #2,584 | 8 | 9 |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Kris, counting every spelling?
Kris is a spelling of Chris, a name family that ranked #583 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #3,218 for Kris on its own. Together these spellings went to 497 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chris | 431 | #646 | 2,005 |
| Kris | 37 | #3,218 | 190 |
| Cris | 14 | #6,196 | 88 |
| Chriss | 5 | #12,399 | 37 |
| Khris | 5 | #13,051 | 37 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Kris?
37 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Kris (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Kris born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 226 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Kris.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Kris?
About 12,000 people born in the US named Kris are alive today, with a median age of 55; half are between 44 and 64. That makes Kris mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Kris by state
How common Kris was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in California (1.5×). In 46 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Kris: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Kris, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Kris
What does Kris mean?
Kris is a spelling of Chris, which means “short for Christopher, Christian or Christina” (Greek, Latin, English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Kris?
Kris was the 3218th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 37 babies. Its best year was 1963, when it ranked 344th; the most babies were born in 1962 (513). Over the last ten years it has moved down 952 places. More babies were named Kris in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Is Kris a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 17% girls, 83% boys given the name Kris in the US.
Where is Kris most popular?
In 2021–2025, Kris was most common in California (0.03 per 1,000 boys), followed by Florida and Illinois.