Kris
Kris is both a unisex given name and a surname. It may refer to:
- English
- Flemish
- Danish
Meaning & Origin of Kris
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Kris is both a unisex given name and a surname. It may refer to:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- Flemish
- Danish
The Story of Kris
As a girl name
American parents first put Kris on the record books as a girl name in 1940, with 8 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1965, when 978 Kriss were born — ranking #277 that year. About 53% of every Kris on record arrived during the 1960s, its defining decade. Kris last appeared in the published SSA data in 2024, with 8 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 14K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1940s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
American parents first put Kris on the record books as a boy name in 1937, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1962, when 513 Kriss were born — ranking #346 that year. About 29% of every Kris on record arrived during the 1960s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Kris ranks #5,289 for boys with 18 births, falling sharply (-62%). All told, over 14K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1930s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Kris
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Kris. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Kris
Phonetically similar names — useful when Kris 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 Kris
What does the name Kris mean?
What is the origin of the name Kris?
How popular is Kris in 2026?
When was Kris most popular?
In which U.S. states is Kris most popular?
Is Kris a unisex name?
What names go well with Kris?
What are nicknames or variants of Kris?
About the name Kris
Kris is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1937 and has accumulated 14K births in the dataset. Kris's peak popularity came in 1962 when it ranked #343. Use the chart and map above to compare Kris's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1962 →
- Names of the 1960s →
- Names starting with "K" →
- 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.