Chris
“Bearer of Christ”
English origin · Unisex name
#774US 2023
330Births / yr
↓Falling
168.4kAll-time births
📅 Since 191400.08% of births at peak
How to pronounce Chris
KRIS
/ˈkrɪs/ · stress on KRIS · 1 syllable
“Bearer of Christ”
English origin · Unisex name
What does Chris mean and where does it come from?
Chris is commonly used as a unisex diminutive of the name Christopher or Christina. Originally of Greek origin, the name means 'bearer of Christ' or 'follower of Christ.' It has been used widely in various English-speaking countries and has gained popularity due to its simplicity and versatility. Th
Cultural significance
Chris has been a cherished name across cultures, particularly in English-speaking communities, where it reflects values of bearer of christ.
Peak popularity
Reached #215 in 1961 — currently #774 in the US.
How else can you spell Chris?
Same sound, different look — useful if you want something slightly more distinctive
What middle names flow best with Chris?
Chris works best with short, strong middle names — one or two syllables keep the full name from becoming a mouthful
Chris Grace
Most popular combo · classic
Chris Rose
Floral · soft ending
Chris Mae
Sweet · timeless
Chris Claire
French influence · crisp
Chris Jane
Literary · strong
Chris Skye
Modern · airy feel
How popular is Chris right now?
Falling — down 105 spots — currently #774 in the US out of 135.5k tracked names
The story of Chris
Chris entered American naming records in 1914 and has been in use for over 110 years. More than 168,355 babies have been named Chris since 1914. The name has grown more popular over time, rising from #2912 in 1920 to #774 in 2023. Chris is used for both genders: 14% female and 86% male.
Names that peaked alongside Chris in 1961:
Chris by decade
Chris peaked in the 1960s. See all 1960s names →
| Decade | Births | |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 503 | |
| 1890s | 396 | |
| 1900s | 339 | |
| 1910s | 1,124 | |
| 1920s | 1,795 | |
| 1930s | 2,101 | |
| 1940s | 8,743 | |
| 1950s | 32,255 | |
| 1960s ★ | 67,636 | |
| 1970s | 27,185 | |
| 1980s | 7,083 | |
| 1990s | 5,390 | |
| 2000s | 7,791 | |
| 2010s | 5,627 | |
| 2020s | 387 |
What are good nicknames for Chris?
ENGLISH
Kiki
NORWEGIAN
Kjersti
BULGARIAN
Kristiyan
CROATIAN
KristijanKrsto
What names sound and feel like Chris?
Based on sound, origin, and style — parents who love Chris also consider these
How is Chris written in other languages?
Gender variants of Chris
Kristiyan BULGARIANKristijan CROATIANKrsto CROATIANCarsten DANISHChristen DANISHChrister DANISHChristian DANISHKarsten DANISHKresten DANISHKris DANISHKristen DANISHKristian DANISHChristiaan DUTCHChristian ENGLISHKris ENGLISHKristjan ESTONIANKristian FINNISHChristian FRENCHChristian GERMANKrisztián HUNGARIANKristján ICELANDICCristiano ITALIANChristianus LATE ROMANKristiāns LATVIANKristijonas LITHUANIANCarsten LOW GERMANKarsten LOW GERMANHristijan MACEDONIANKristijan MACEDONIANChristen NORWEGIANChristian NORWEGIANKarsten NORWEGIANKristen NORWEGIANKristian NORWEGIANKrystian POLISHKrystyn POLISHCristiano PORTUGUESECristi ROMANIANCristian ROMANIANKristijan SERBIANKristijan SLOVENEKristjan SLOVENECristián SPANISHChrister SWEDISHChristian SWEDISHKrister SWEDISHKristian SWEDISHKistiñe BASQUEHristina BULGARIANKristina BULGARIANIna CROATIANKristina CROATIANTina CROATIANKristina CZECHKristýna CZECHChrista DANISHChristin DANISHChristina DANISHChristine DANISHIna DANISHKirsten DANISHKirstine DANISHKristin DANISHKristina DANISHKristine DANISHStina DANISHStine DANISHTine DANISHChristina DUTCHChristine DUTCHIna DUTCHStien DUTCHTina DUTCHTineke DUTCHChrissie ENGLISHChrissy ENGLISHChrista ENGLISHChristabel ENGLISHChristabella ENGLISHChristabelle ENGLISHChristen ENGLISHChristi ENGLISHChristiana ENGLISHChristianne ENGLISHChristie ENGLISHChristina ENGLISHChristine ENGLISHChristobel ENGLISHChristy ENGLISHCristen ENGLISHIna ENGLISHKiersten ENGLISHKiki ENGLISHKirsten ENGLISHKris ENGLISHKrista ENGLISHKristeen ENGLISHKristen ENGLISHKristi ENGLISHKristia ENGLISHKristie ENGLISHKristin ENGLISHKristina ENGLISHKristine ENGLISHKristy ENGLISHKrysten ENGLISHKrystina ENGLISHKrystine ENGLISHKyrsten ENGLISHTiana ENGLISHTianna ENGLISHTina ENGLISHKristiina ESTONIANKristina FAROESEIina FINNISHKirsi FINNISHKirsti FINNISHKrista FINNISHKristiina FINNISHStiina FINNISHTiina FINNISHChristelle FRENCHChristiane FRENCHChristine FRENCHChrista GERMANChristel GERMANChristiane GERMANChristin GERMANChristina GERMANChristine GERMANIna GERMANKerstin GERMANKiki GERMANKrista GERMANKristiane GERMANKristin GERMANKristina GERMANKristine GERMANChristina GREEKKilikina HAWAIIANKrisztina HUNGARIANKristín ICELANDICKristjana ICELANDICCristiana ITALIANCristina ITALIANTina ITALIANChristiana LATE ROMANKristiāna LATVIANKristīna LATVIANKristīne LATVIANIna LIMBURGISHStien LIMBURGISHKristina LITHUANIANHristina MACEDONIANTina MACEDONIANChristin NORWEGIANChristina NORWEGIANChristine NORWEGIANIna NORWEGIANKine NORWEGIANKirsten NORWEGIANKjersti NORWEGIANKjerstin NORWEGIANKristin NORWEGIANKristina NORWEGIANKristine NORWEGIANStina NORWEGIANStine NORWEGIANTine NORWEGIANKrysia POLISHKrystiana POLISHKrystyna POLISHCristiana PORTUGUESECristina PORTUGUESECristina ROMANIANKristina RUSSIANCairistìona SCOTTISHKirsteen SCOTTISHKirstie SCOTTISHKirstin SCOTTISHKirsty SCOTTISHHristina SERBIANKristina SERBIANKristína SLOVAKKristina SLOVENETina SLOVENECristina SPANISHChristin SWEDISHChristina SWEDISHChristine SWEDISHIna SWEDISHKerstin SWEDISHKia SWEDISHKjerstin SWEDISHKristin SWEDISHKristina SWEDISHKristine SWEDISHStina SWEDISHKhrystyna UKRAINIANCrystin WELSHChristos THEOLOGYKistiñe BASQUEHristina BULGARIANKristina BULGARIANIna CROATIANKristina CROATIANTina CROATIANKristina CZECHKristýna CZECHChrista DANISHChristin DANISHChristina DANISHChristine DANISHIna DANISHKirsten DANISHKirstine DANISHKristin DANISHKristina DANISHKristine DANISHStina DANISHStine DANISHTine DANISHChristina DUTCHChristine DUTCHIna DUTCHStien DUTCHTina DUTCHTineke DUTCHChrissie ENGLISHChrissy ENGLISHChrista ENGLISHChristabel ENGLISHChristabella ENGLISHChristabelle ENGLISHChristen ENGLISHChristi ENGLISHChristiana ENGLISHChristianne ENGLISHChristie ENGLISHChristina ENGLISHChristine ENGLISHChristobel ENGLISHChristy ENGLISHCristen ENGLISHIna ENGLISHKiersten ENGLISHKiki ENGLISHKirsten ENGLISHKris ENGLISHKrista ENGLISHKristeen ENGLISHKristen ENGLISHKristi ENGLISHKristia ENGLISHKristie ENGLISHKristin ENGLISHKristina ENGLISHKristine ENGLISHKristy ENGLISHKrysten ENGLISHKrystina ENGLISHKrystine ENGLISHKyrsten ENGLISHTiana ENGLISHTianna ENGLISHTina ENGLISHKristiina ESTONIANKristina FAROESEIina FINNISHKirsi FINNISHKirsti FINNISHKrista FINNISHKristiina FINNISHStiina FINNISHTiina FINNISHChristelle FRENCHChristiane FRENCHChristine FRENCHChrista GERMANChristel GERMANChristiane GERMANChristin GERMANChristina GERMANChristine GERMANIna GERMANKerstin GERMANKiki GERMANKrista GERMANKristiane GERMANKristin GERMANKristina GERMANKristine GERMANChristina GREEKKilikina HAWAIIANKrisztina HUNGARIANKristín ICELANDICKristjana ICELANDICCristiana ITALIANCristina ITALIANTina ITALIANChristiana LATE ROMANKristiāna LATVIANKristīna LATVIANKristīne LATVIANIna LIMBURGISHStien LIMBURGISHKristina LITHUANIANHristina MACEDONIANTina MACEDONIANChristin NORWEGIANChristina NORWEGIANChristine NORWEGIANIna NORWEGIANKine NORWEGIANKirsten NORWEGIANKjersti NORWEGIANKjerstin NORWEGIANKristin NORWEGIANKristina NORWEGIANKristine NORWEGIANStina NORWEGIANStine NORWEGIANTine NORWEGIANKrysia POLISHKrystiana POLISHKrystyna POLISHCristiana PORTUGUESECristina PORTUGUESECristina ROMANIANKristina RUSSIANCairistìona SCOTTISHKirsteen SCOTTISHKirstie SCOTTISHKirstin SCOTTISHKirsty SCOTTISHHristina SERBIANKristina SERBIANKristína SLOVAKKristina SLOVENETina SLOVENECristina SPANISHChristin SWEDISHChristina SWEDISHChristine SWEDISHIna SWEDISHKerstin SWEDISHKia SWEDISHKjerstin SWEDISHKristin SWEDISHKristina SWEDISHKristine SWEDISHStina SWEDISHKhrystyna UKRAINIANCrystin WELSHChristos THEOLOGY
Common questions about the name Chris
What does the name Chris mean?
Chris means "Bearer of Christ" — a name rooted in English tradition that carries both historical depth and timeless appeal. The meaning reflects values that have made this name endure across generations.
How popular is the name Chris?
Chris is currently ranked #774 as a baby name in the US and is becoming rarer and more distinctive, making it a unique choice that stands out.
What is the cultural origin of Chris?
Chris originates from English tradition. English names tend to carry strong cultural heritage and have spread across the world through migration, literature, and religion over centuries.
How do you pronounce the name Chris?
Chris is a one-syllable name pronounced K R IH1 S. The pronunciation is straightforward for English speakers, and the name reads clearly on paper — an important practical consideration for parents.
How does Chris sound with different last names?
As a one-syllable name, Chris flows best with last names of two or three syllables. Avoid last names ending in the same sound as Chris ends, as this can create an unwanted rhyme. Test by saying the full name out loud several times.
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