Chris
Chris is a short form of various names including Christopher, Christian, Christina, and Christine. Chris is also used as a name in its own right, but it is not as common.
Meaning & Origin of Chris
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Chris is a short form of various names including Christopher, Christian, Christina, and Christine. Chris is also used as a name in its own right, but it is not as common.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Chris
As a girl name
Chris first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1914, with 8 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1961, when 1,568 Chriss were born — ranking #215 that year. As of 2026, Chris ranks #12,120 for girls with 7 births, rising sharply (+20% over the past five years). In total, more than 23K Chriss have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Chris first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1880, with 49 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1961, when 7,204 Chriss were born — ranking #57 that year. As of 2026, Chris ranks #680 for boys with 400 births, gradually falling (-10%). In total, more than 148K Chriss have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Chris
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Chris Abani (born 1966), Nigerian author
- Chris Abele (born 1967), American businessman and politician
- Chris Abell (1957–2020), British biological chemist
- Chris Abrahams (born 1961), Sydney-based jazz pianist
- Chris Achilléos (1947–2021), British painter
- Chris Ackie (born 1992), Canadian football player
- Chris Acland (1966–1996), English drummer and songwriter
- Chris Adams (disambiguation) , multiple people
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Chris
Phonetically similar names — useful when Chris is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Chris
What does the name Chris mean?
How popular is Chris in 2026?
When was Chris most popular?
In which U.S. states is Chris most popular?
Is Chris a unisex name?
What names go well with Chris?
About the name Chris
Chris is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 148K births in the dataset. Chris's peak popularity came in 1961 when it ranked #55. Use the chart and map above to compare Chris's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1961 →
- Names of the 1960s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.