Chris Unisex
Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: KRIS //krɪs//
Origin: Greek; Latin
Meaning: Greek: bearer of Christ; Latin: follower of Christ
Historical & Cultural Background
The name Chris is derived from the Greek word 'Christos', meaning 'anointed one' or 'messiah'. This term is a translation of the Hebrew 'Mashiach', which also means 'anointed'.
The name Christos was used in the early Christian community to refer to Jesus of Nazareth, who is regarded as the Christ in Christian theology. The name made its way into Latin as 'Christus', which was then adopted into Old French as 'Crist' before entering the English language as Chris, often used as a diminutive of Christopher or Christian.
Historically, the name Chris has been associated with significant religious figures and events. The spread of Christianity in the first few centuries CE led to the adoption of the name in various forms across different cultures.
Notable figures include Saint Christopher, a legendary Christian martyr from the 3rd century, who is often depicted as a giant carrying the Christ child across a river. The name gained further prominence through the translation of the Bible into various languages, particularly the King James Version in the early 17th century, which solidified the use of Christ in Christian contexts.
Culturally, the name Chris has been embraced in various traditions, often symbolizing faith and devotion. Its association with Christ has made it a popular choice among Christian families, reflecting a connection to religious heritage.
The name has also been used in various literary and artistic works, reinforcing its significance in Western culture. The diminutive form, Chris, has become widely accepted as a standalone name, demonstrating the flexibility and enduring nature of the name's roots.
Famous people named Chris
In this section, you will find notable people named Chris. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Chris who have made a significant impact on popular culture.
We also feature individuals named Chris who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.
Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.
Chris Hemsworth is an actor best known for Thor, The Avengers, and Extraction.
Chris Evans is an actor best known for Captain America, The Avengers, and Snowpiercer.
Chris Pratt is an actor best known for Guardians of the Galaxy, Jurassic World, and Parks and Recreation.
Chris Rock is a comedian and actor best known for Everybody Hates Chris, Grown Ups, and Madagascar.
Chris Martin is a musician best known as the lead vocalist of Coldplay, known for albums like A Rush of Blood to the Head and Viva la Vida.
Chris Pine is an actor best known for Star Trek, Wonder Woman, and Hell or High Water.
Chris Daughtry is a musician best known as the lead vocalist of Daughtry and for his appearance on American Idol.
Chris Cornell was a musician best known as the lead vocalist for Soundgarden and Audioslave.
Chris Bosh is a former professional basketball player best known for his time with the Miami Heat and the Toronto Raptors.
Chris O'Dowd is an actor best known for The IT Crowd, Bridesmaids, and Moone Boy.
Chris Sacca is an investor best known for his work with Twitter and as a venture capitalist.
Chris Tucker is an actor and comedian best known for Rush Hour, Friday, and Silver Linings Playbook.
Chris Klug is a professional snowboarder best known for winning a bronze medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Chris Moneymaker is a professional poker player best known for winning the 2003 World Series of Poker.
Chris Jericho is a professional wrestler and musician best known for his time in WWE and as the lead singer of Fozzy.
Chris Eubank is a former professional boxer best known for his reign as WBO middleweight and super middleweight champion.
Chris Lilley is a comedian and actor best known for his television series Summer Heights High and Ja'mie: Private School Girl.
Chris Squire was a musician best known as the bassist for the progressive rock band Yes.
Chris Stapleton is a musician best known for his work in country music and albums like Traveller and Starting Over.
Fictional characters named Chris
The following list of fictional characters named Chris is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.
You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.
Chris Redfield is a fictional character from the video game series Resident Evil. He is a skilled member of the BSAA and one of the main protagonists fighting against bioterrorism.
Chris Griffin is a fictional character from the animated television series Family Guy. He is the overweight and often clueless son of Peter and Lois Griffin, known for his humorous antics.
Sibling suggestions
If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Chris, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.
Similar names
Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Chris. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.
U.S. Historical Usage
The name Chris was first seen in the United States in 1880.
Chris has ranked as high as #117 nationally, which occurred in 1961, and has been most popular in California, New York, Ohio, Illinois, and Michigan.
In the past 5 years the name Chris has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.
Popularity Over Time (National)
The name Chris is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Chris was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.
Top States for Chris (2024)
We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. In some cases, you may see four or five states listed. However, we only display states where the name represents a significant percentage of births, so the number of states shown can range from one to several.
| State | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|
| TX | 62 | |
| CA | 60 | |
| FL | 48 | |
| NY | 35 | |
| MA | 18 | |
| MD | 14 | |
| PA | 12 | |
| IL | 10 | |
| OH | 10 | |
| GA | 10 | |
| IN | 9 | |
| KY | 9 | |
| SC | 8 | |
| WA | 8 | |
| OK | 7 |
Popularity Over Time (National) — Table
We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Chris.
| Year | Births |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 423 |
| 2023 | 330 |
| 2022 | 407 |
| 2021 | 412 |
| 2020 | 382 |
| 2019 | 490 |
| 2018 | 440 |
| 2017 | 458 |
| 2016 | 514 |
| 2015 | 567 |
| 2014 | 538 |
| 2013 | 624 |
| 2012 | 648 |
| 2011 | 581 |
| 2010 | 721 |
| 2009 | 861 |
| 2008 | 943 |
| 2007 | 909 |
| 2006 | 842 |
| 2005 | 723 |
| 2004 | 675 |
| 2003 | 678 |
| 2002 | 692 |
| 2001 | 695 |
| 2000 | 651 |
| 1999 | 623 |
| 1998 | 599 |
| 1997 | 532 |
| 1996 | 552 |
| 1995 | 489 |
| 1994 | 442 |
| 1993 | 446 |
| 1992 | 462 |
| 1991 | 510 |
| 1990 | 489 |
| 1989 | 539 |
| 1988 | 497 |
| 1987 | 514 |
| 1986 | 536 |
| 1985 | 614 |
| 1984 | 627 |
| 1983 | 651 |
| 1982 | 713 |
| 1981 | 830 |
| 1980 | 990 |
| 1979 | 1,264 |
| 1978 | 1,339 |
| 1977 | 1,496 |
| 1976 | 1,598 |
| 1975 | 1,955 |
| 1974 | 2,278 |
| 1973 | 2,703 |
| 1972 | 3,473 |
| 1971 | 4,292 |
| 1970 | 4,461 |
| 1969 | 4,282 |
| 1968 | 4,249 |
| 1967 | 4,620 |
| 1966 | 5,257 |
| 1965 | 5,480 |
| 1964 | 5,638 |
| 1963 | 6,329 |
| 1962 | 6,792 |
| 1961 | 7,204 |
| 1960 | 6,496 |
| 1959 | 5,678 |
| 1958 | 4,456 |
| 1957 | 3,252 |
| 1956 | 2,533 |
| 1955 | 2,193 |
| 1954 | 1,801 |
| 1953 | 1,579 |
| 1952 | 1,686 |
| 1951 | 1,474 |
| 1950 | 1,249 |
| 1949 | 1,389 |
| 1948 | 1,286 |
| 1947 | 1,116 |
| 1946 | 827 |
| 1945 | 551 |
| 1944 | 529 |
| 1943 | 447 |
| 1942 | 383 |
| 1941 | 321 |
| 1940 | 317 |
| 1939 | 246 |
| 1938 | 228 |
| 1937 | 196 |
| 1936 | 190 |
| 1935 | 182 |
| 1934 | 181 |
| 1933 | 142 |
| 1932 | 208 |
| 1931 | 154 |
| 1930 | 172 |
| 1929 | 171 |
| 1928 | 164 |
| 1927 | 153 |
| 1926 | 168 |
| 1925 | 182 |
| 1924 | 178 |
| 1923 | 155 |
| 1922 | 169 |
| 1921 | 147 |
| 1920 | 180 |
| 1919 | 128 |
| 1918 | 179 |
| 1917 | 145 |
| 1916 | 148 |
| 1915 | 145 |
| 1914 | 126 |
| 1913 | 81 |
| 1912 | 76 |
| 1911 | 43 |
| 1910 | 32 |
| 1909 | 48 |
| 1908 | 37 |
| 1907 | 29 |
| 1906 | 30 |
| 1905 | 25 |
| 1904 | 27 |
| 1903 | 35 |
| 1902 | 37 |
| 1901 | 26 |
| 1900 | 45 |
| 1899 | 36 |
| 1898 | 33 |
| 1897 | 35 |
| 1896 | 53 |
| 1895 | 41 |
| 1894 | 45 |
| 1893 | 40 |
| 1892 | 49 |
| 1891 | 32 |
| 1890 | 32 |
| 1889 | 42 |
| 1888 | 59 |
| 1887 | 46 |
| 1886 | 62 |
| 1885 | 50 |
| 1884 | 57 |
| 1883 | 47 |
| 1882 | 39 |
| 1881 | 52 |
| 1880 | 49 |