Chris
A short form of Christopher or Christine, from Greek Christos.
Popularity, 1880–2025
Chris appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American boys in every year from 1958 to 1973. Its biggest year was 1961, when 7,203 newborn boys received the name, ranking it No. 57 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1966, at No. 55. In 2025 it ranked No. 646 for boys. The name has also seen real use for girls: 22,955 of the 170,417 Americans given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Kris (27,971), Cris (4,127), Kriss (932), Criss (712), Chriss (678) (total births since 1880)
Other names that share a story: Christopher, Christine
Explore Chris interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 503 | No. 211 |
| 1890s | 396 | No. 249 |
| 1900s | 339 | No. 312 |
| 1910s | 1,103 | No. 428 |
| 1920s | 1,667 | No. 445 |
| 1930s | 1,899 | No. 357 |
| 1940s | 7,166 | No. 168 |
| 1950s | 25,897 | No. 72 |
| 1960s | 56,338 | No. 55 |
| 1970s | 24,855 | No. 63 |
| 1980s | 6,513 | No. 234 |
| 1990s | 5,143 | No. 396 |
| 2000s | 7,671 | No. 346 |
| 2010s | 5,585 | No. 393 |
| 2020s | 2,387 | No. 646 |
Births and rank shown for boys, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.