Chris Unisex

Popularity: #555 · Trend: ↘ Falling

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.

KyleRyanJasonEricAdamMark

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.

ChristianChristopherCrispinCyrusChaseClintCodyCameron

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Chris was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Chris has ranked as high as #102 nationally, which occurred in 1961, and has been most popular in California, Texas, New York, Ohio, and Illinois.

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.

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 Total Births Boy Girl
2025 431 431 0
2024 431 424 7
2023 344 330 14
2022 414 408 6
2021 422 412 10
2020 391 382 9
2019 490 490 0
2018 446 440 6
2017 464 459 5
2016 520 514 6
2015 577 569 8
2014 546 539 7
2013 635 624 11
2012 660 648 12
2011 581 581 0
2010 729 721 8
2009 871 861 10
2008 956 944 12
2007 925 909 16
2006 851 842 9
2005 732 723 9
2004 686 676 10
2003 692 678 14
2002 707 692 15
2001 715 695 20
2000 671 651 20
1999 638 623 15
1998 615 599 16
1997 551 532 19
1996 581 552 29
1995 513 489 24
1994 470 442 28
1993 473 445 28
1992 486 462 24
1991 549 510 39
1990 519 489 30
1989 568 539 29
1988 541 497 44
1987 551 514 37
1986 593 537 56
1985 667 615 52
1984 684 626 58
1983 701 651 50
1982 797 713 84
1981 906 830 76
1980 1,095 991 104
1979 1,383 1,264 119
1978 1,468 1,339 129
1977 1,656 1,494 162
1976 1,785 1,597 188
1975 2,155 1,954 201
1974 2,483 2,279 204
1973 2,941 2,703 238
1972 3,749 3,472 277
1971 4,616 4,293 323
1970 4,918 4,460 458
1969 4,808 4,280 528
1968 4,917 4,249 668
1967 5,347 4,618 729
1966 6,117 5,257 860
1965 6,568 5,479 1,089
1964 7,016 5,639 1,377
1963 7,752 6,328 1,424
1962 8,310 6,791 1,519
1961 8,774 7,203 1,571
1960 8,003 6,494 1,509
1959 7,085 5,676 1,409
1958 5,797 4,457 1,340
1957 4,270 3,249 1,021
1956 3,146 2,533 613
1955 2,646 2,193 453
1954 2,175 1,801 374
1953 1,913 1,579 334
1952 2,014 1,687 327
1951 1,751 1,473 278
1950 1,468 1,249 219
1949 1,630 1,389 241
1948 1,615 1,286 329
1947 1,438 1,116 322
1946 1,029 827 202
1945 680 551 129
1944 635 529 106
1943 549 447 102
1942 453 383 70
1941 364 321 43
1940 349 317 32
1939 276 246 30
1938 254 228 26
1937 222 196 26
1936 210 190 20
1935 201 182 19
1934 195 181 14
1933 159 142 17
1932 230 208 22
1931 169 154 15
1930 186 172 14
1929 187 171 16
1928 184 164 20
1927 168 153 15
1926 181 168 13
1925 189 182 7
1924 192 178 14
1923 169 155 14
1922 181 169 12
1921 153 147 6
1920 191 180 11
1919 135 128 7
1918 179 179 0
1917 151 145 6
1916 148 148 0
1915 145 145 0
1914 134 126 8
1913 81 81 0
1912 76 76 0
1911 43 43 0
1910 32 32 0
1909 48 48 0
1908 37 37 0
1907 29 29 0
1906 30 30 0
1905 25 25 0
1904 27 27 0
1903 35 35 0
1902 37 37 0
1901 26 26 0
1900 45 45 0
1899 36 36 0
1898 33 33 0
1897 35 35 0
1896 53 53 0
1895 41 41 0
1894 45 45 0
1893 40 40 0
1892 49 49 0
1891 32 32 0
1890 32 32 0
1889 42 42 0
1888 59 59 0
1887 46 46 0
1886 62 62 0
1885 50 50 0
1884 57 57 0
1883 47 47 0
1882 39 39 0
1881 52 52 0
1880 49 49 0

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. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
TX 62
16%
CA 60
16%
FL 48
13%
NY 35
9%
MA 18
5%
MD 14
4%
NJ 13
3%
PA 12
3%
GA 10
3%
IL 10
3%
OH 10
3%
IN 9
2%
KY 9
2%
WA 8
2%
SC 8
2%
NC 7
2%
OK 7
2%
VA 6
2%
CO 6
2%
AL 6
2%
TN 6
2%
MO 5
1%
IA 5
1%
AZ 5
1%