Given name & surname
Chip
“one who bears Christ inside”
In English use, Chip is a diminutive of Christopher. One Greek interpretation is “one who bears Christ inside.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Chip is a diminutive of Christopher. One Greek interpretation is “one who bears Christ inside.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
How it developed
Chip is used as a form of Charles.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1942. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Chip through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 3,493
- 3,493 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1962
- 171 babies
- 2025
- 24
- #4,274 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −1%
- Steady
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 24 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 4,274 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 1.1% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,694 as a first name in 2020; 179 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Chip’s family of names
In English usage, Chip is a diminutive of Christopher. Chip is a form of Charles. In English usage, Chip is a diminutive of Charles.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 7
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Chip
- Chip RoyAmerican politician (born 1972)
- Chip GanassiAmerican racing team ownerborn 1958
- Chip PickeringAmerican politicianborn 1963
- Chip RobinsonAmerican racecar driverborn 1954
- Chip ZienAmerican actorborn 1947
- Chip FooseAmerican automobile pioneerborn 1963
- Chip HooperAmerican tennis playerborn 1958
- Chip KellyAmerican football coachborn 1963
- Chip KiddAmerican graphic designer (born 1964)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Chip, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Chet
“a vivacious woman”
>99% boys
Kipp
“from the small pointed hill”
>99% boys
Cliff
“from the town near the cliff” · “from the ford near the cliff”
>99% boys
Rich
“a powerful ruler”
>99% boys
Kemp
“the champion”
>99% boys
Ladd
“a servant; a young man”
>99% boys
Jim
“he who supplants” · “heel grabber”
>99% boys
Chad
“one who is warlike”
>99% boys