Given name & surname
Chris
“follower of Christ”·“one who bears Christ inside”
Chris is a variant of Christina. One English interpretation is “follower of Christ.” In English use, Chris is a diminutive of Christopher. One Greek interpretation is “one who bears Christ inside.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Chris is a variant of Christina. One English interpretation is “follower of Christ.” In English use, Chris is a diminutive of Christopher. One Greek interpretation is “one who bears Christ inside.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Chris is a variant of Christina. Christina has been associated with Latin and Middle English naming traditions. In English use, Chris is a diminutive of Christopher. An origin associated with Christopher is Greek.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
Chris is used as a shortened form of Christopher. Chris is used as a shortened form of Christine.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Chris through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 170,417
- 147,462 boys · 22,955 girls
- Most popular year
- 1961
- 8,774 babies
- 2025
- 431
- #646 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −12%
- Easing
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 99% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 431 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 646 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 12.3% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 7,203 in 1961. In 2025, Florida had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (71). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 366,260 as a first name in 2020; 917 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.
Chris’s family of names
In English usage, Chris is a diminutive of Christopher. In German usage, Chris has a related form in Christine. Chris is a short form of Christopher.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Chris has relatives in 6 languages.
19 related names in 6 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 17
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 15
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Chris
- Chris PrattAmerican actor (born 1979)
- Chris PineAmerican actor (born 1980)
- Chris EvansAmerican actor (born 1981)
- Chris HemsworthAustralian actor (born 1983)
- Chris BrownAmerican singer and rapper (born 1989)
- Chris MartinEnglish singer-songwriter (born 1977)
- Chris TuckerAmerican actor and comedianborn 1971
- Chris EvertAmerican former tennis player (born 1954)
- Chris RockAmerican comedian, actor, and filmmaker (born 1965)
Characters named Chris: Chris Griffin (the Family Guy franchise), Chris Redfield (Resident Evil), Chris Taub (House), Chris Halliwell (Charmed).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Chris, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Craig
“from the rocks; from the crag”
>99% boys
Curtis
“one who is courteous; polite”
>99% boys
Elvis
“one who is wise”
>99% boys
Clay
“of the earth's clay”
>99% boys
Cliff
“from the town near the cliff” · “from the ford near the cliff”
>99% boys
Chip
“one who bears Christ inside”
>99% boys
Dennis
“a follower of Dionysus”
99% boys · 1% girls
Phillip
“one who loves horses”
>99% boys