Girl · #12,198 in 2026

Keris

Name: Popularity of the name Keris in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Keris, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

The kris or keris is a Javanese asymmetrical dagger with a distinctive blade-patterning achieved through alternating laminations of iron and nickelous iron (pamor). The kris is famous for its distinctive wavy blade, although many have straight blades as well, and is one of the weapons commonly used in the pencak silat martial art native to Indonesia.

Current Rank

#12,198

Peak Rank

#12,675 (2007)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1989

First Year

2012

Last Year

2007

Peak Year

#12675

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Keris

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology

The word kris come from the Old Javanese term which means "dagger". In Javanese , kris is known as keris ( ꦏꦼꦫꦶꦱ꧀ ) in the ngoko register , dhuwung ( ꦝꦸꦮꦸꦁ ) in the krama register, and wangkingan ( ꦮꦁꦏꦶꦁꦔꦤ꧀ ) in the krama inggil vocabulary. In Malay (subsequently Indonesian and Malaysian ), Sundanese , Balinese and Sasak , it is spelled keris ( Pegon and Jawi : کريس). Other names include karih in Minangkabau , and sele (ᨔᨙᨒᨙ) in Buginese and Makassarese . Two notable exceptions are the Philippines and Thailand . In the Philippines, the kris and similar stabbing daggers are known as gunong or g

Origin & history

Possible kris depicted on 9th-century Borobudur bas-relief Kris blacksmith's workshop depicted in 15th-century Candi Sukuh (850). [ citation needed ] The description of a small dagger from Java reminiscent of kris can be found in Chinese source from the 10th century Song dynasty . In 992 the envoy from She-po (Java) arrived in Chinese court bearing a lot of gifts, consists of a dagger with exquisite hilt made of rhino horn and gold, silk woven with floral motifs made of gold threads , ivories, pearls, silk of various colours, fragrant sandalwood , cotton clothes of various colours, turtle shel

The Story of Keris

Keris first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1989, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2007, when 8 Keriss were born — ranking #12,675 that year. As of 2026, Keris ranks #12,198 for baby girls with 8 births, with steady use. In total, more than 51 Keriss have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Keris

Phonetically similar names — useful when Keris is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Keres
Carys
Caris
Carris
Coris
Karris
Chorus
Caresse
Korus
Chris
Carries
Kris

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Keris

What does the name Keris mean?

How popular is Keris in 2026?

In 2026, Keris ranks #12,198 among girls' names in the U.S., with 8 babies given the name that year.

When was Keris most popular?

Keris reached its peak popularity in 2007, ranking #12,675 that year with 8 babies given the name.

Is Keris a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Keris is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Keris?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Keris include Melady, Allisun, Chen. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Keris

Keris is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1989 and has accumulated 51 births in the dataset. Keris's peak popularity came in 2007 when it ranked #12,675. Use the chart and map above to compare Keris's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.