Kris
Gender-neutral name · American · Latin · Scandinavian
Meaningfollower of Christ · English form of Christopher
- US rank
- #3,181
- Syllables
- 1
- Peak
- #343 in 1963
37 babies were named Kris in the US in 2025. It has dropped 1,042 places in five years.
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million girls, 1940–2025
US births per million boys, 1937–2025
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Kris you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Kris
Kris Allen
American musician and singer-songwriter
Choose Kris and your child shares a first name with Kris Allen, an American musician and singer-songwriter. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Kris, like who?” Kris Allen's Wikipedia article is available in 34 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Kris Allen on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Annalee Barclay at https://www.flickr.com/people/annalee_xx, GFDL (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 46,083 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Kris, 37 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Kris would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryKris first shows up in US birth records in 1937, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 88 years since.
- Best yearIt was far more popular in 1963, when it ranked #343. Today it's #3,181, so it could be due a comeback.
- TrendKris has slipped 1,042 places over the last five years and now sits at #3,181. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- Boy or girlKris is given to both boys and girls: 82% of the 45 babies named Kris in 2025 were boys. That makes it one of the names that truly works for either.
- MeaningKris is an English form of Christopher, which means “follower of Christ”. Our records link it to American, Latin and Scandinavian roots.
About the name Kris
Kris is a gender-neutral name of American, Latin and Scandinavian origin meaning “follower of Christ”. It has 4 letters and 1 syllable, starting with K and ending in “-ris”. US birth records list Kris for boys from 1937 to 2025, in 88 of those 89 years. Its best year was 1963, when it ranked #343 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #3,181, with 37 babies. Of the 45 US babies named Kris in 2025, 18% were girls and 82% were boys.
Origin:American namesLatin namesScandinavian names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 32 | 31,437 girls |
| 1950s | 147 | 6,807 girls |
| 1960s | 395 | 2,530 girls |
| 1970s | 128 | 7,828 girls |
| 1980s | 27 | 36,765 girls |
| 1990s | 12 | 83,752 girls |
| 2000s | 6.5 | 153,610 girls |
| 2010s | 9.0 | 110,619 girls |
| 2020s | 5.4 | 184,049 girls |
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 3.4 | 297,030 boys |
| 1940s | 26 | 38,462 boys |
| 1950s | 128 | 7,818 boys |
| 1960s | 214 | 4,676 boys |
| 1970s | 223 | 4,482 boys |
| 1980s | 65 | 15,451 boys |
| 1990s | 34 | 29,240 boys |
| 2000s | 37 | 26,724 boys |
| 2010s | 34 | 28,994 boys |
| 2020s | 25 | 40,650 boys |
Other spellings of Kris
More American names
- Boy name: Henry · ruler of the home
- Girl name: Lainey · possibly light
- Unisex name: Maverick · independent, unbranded
- Girl name: Daisy · day's eye
- Girl name: Josie · he will add
- Unisex name: Kai · sea
- Unisex name: Kinsley · king's meadow
- Girl name: Sienna · from Siena
Questions about the name Kris
What does the name Kris mean?
Kris means “follower of Christ” in English, as a form of Christopher.
What is the origin of the name Kris?
Kris has American, Latin, Scandinavian roots in our records. Other American names include Henry, Lainey, Maverick.
Is Kris a boy or girl name?
Both. Kris is used for boys and girls: in 2025, 18% of US babies named Kris were girls.
How popular is the name Kris?
Kris ranked #3,181 for US boys in 2025, given to 37 babies. Its best year was 1963 (#343).