Chris
Pronounced K R IH1 S (ARPABET)
- 1 syllable
- Peaked 1961
- 145 years in use
- 5 spellings
How popular is Chris?
Chris is a name given to both boys and girls, and has been in the record since the data starts in 1880. It has been given to 205,312 children — the 211th most common boys' name on record.
It has been slipping, down 41% on the previous decade. Its best single year was 1961, when 7,863 children were given it.
Five other spellings are counted in that total — Kris, Cris, Criss and two more — because they are pronounced identically.
Roughly 19% of children named Chris are girls, so the split is a real one rather than a rounding error.
Spelling variants
These spellings sound identical to Chris and are counted together with it, which is why the totals here are higher than a single-spelling count.
- Kris
- Cris
- Criss
- Kriss
- Chriss
Nicknames
Chris is itself a short form of Christopher.
Characteristics
- 1 syllable
Phonetic detail
- Pronunciations:
- K R IH1 S
- Stress pattern:
- 1
- Syllables:
- 1
Stress digits mark unstressed (0), primary (1) and secondary (2) syllables.
Names like Chris
Same first letter and syllable count, peaking around the same time.
Sibling names for Chris
Names from the same era with a matching rhythm but a different initial.
Frequently asked questions
- How popular is the name Chris?
- Chris ranks 211th among boys' names in US records, with 205,312 births since 1880. Over the past decade it accounts for 5,452.
- Is Chris a unisex name?
- Yes. About 19% of children given the name are girls, which is a genuine split rather than a rounding error.
- When was Chris most popular?
- 1961, when 7,863 children were given the name. It has been in use for 145 years and is still recorded as of 2024.
- How else is Chris spelled?
- Kris, Cris, Criss, Kriss, Chriss. All of these sound the same and are counted together in the totals on this page.