Kris

Kris - A very unique male name

Kris appeared on the charts for the first time in 1944 on position #1533. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Kris and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Kris? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Kris. The baby boy name Kris was given to 20 baby boys in 2025, ranking #2435 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 73,314 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Kris peaked in popularity 63 years ago in 1963 on position 343.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Kris, 1-5?

Kris is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Kris is currently topping the baby name charts in New York at position #1,917 - and is the least popular in California at position #2,106.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Kris is where you live.

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Kris origin and meaning

Short form, Scandinavian and English use

A short form of names beginning Kris-/Chris- — chiefly Christian and Christopher, from Greek Christos, 'anointed'

Kris is a clipped form that stood on its own in mid-century America, peaking for boys in 1963. It is most strongly tied to Kris Kristofferson, who carried it through a long songwriting, recording and film career. As a full name it now reads as a relaxed, one-syllable retro pick.

Attested etymology

Kris is a 4 letter name with 1 syllables.

To see famous people named Kris, pop culture references for the name Kris and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Kris

We've found the following names that sound similar to Kris, sorted by popularity.

Kirk / Krish / Kraig / Kruz / Kross / Karas / Kairos / Khriz / Kreg / Kruze /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Kris

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Kris a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Kris?

1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

KRIS · /krɪs/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Chris — The English short form with the classic spelling

Famous bearers

• Kris Kristofferson — Singer-songwriter and actor, writer of 'Me and Bobby McGee'; died in 2024, so typed contemporary under the died-2000-or-later rule (1936–2024) Contemporary
• Kris Bryant — Major League Baseball third baseman and 2016 National League MVP (b. 1992) Contemporary

Style

Short formNickname name

Why parents choose it

Kris is as short and direct as names get — familiar to everyone, chosen by almost no one right now.

Worth knowing

• Usually assumed to be short for Christopher or Christian