Chris

♀ Girl

Pronounced KRIS /ˈkrɪs/High

Meaning: A short form of Christina/Christine (or the boys' Christopher), from the Greek Christos, 'anointed; Christ' - so 'follower of Christ; Christ-bearer' by route. A crisp, familiar unisex short name.Low

In 30 seconds: A crisp short name: Chris shortens Christina or Christopher, tied to 'Christ' (said 'KRIS'). Familiar and unisex.

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Origin MediumGreek, English

MeaningA short form of Christina/Christine (or the boys' Christopher), from the Greek Christos, 'anointed; Christ' - so 'follower of Christ; Christ-bearer' by route. A crisp, familiar unisex short name.

U.S. rank (2024)#12392 ↘ Falling

2024 U.S. births7 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1961

Total births (all-time)≈ 22,956

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Chris shortens Christina/Christine or Christopher, from Greek Christos, 'anointed; Christ' - so 'follower of Christ' by route. It reads crisp and familiar, used for both girls and boys, which we note - rare as a full given name in the U.S. (said 'KRIS').

As a stand-alone name it appears rarely, for both girls and boys. Rare, crisp, and familiar.

Did you know? Chris is a short form of Christina/Christine (and the boys' Christopher), from the Greek Christos, 'anointed; Christ' - a crisp, friendly unisex short name, which we note (said 'KRIS').

Overall data confidence 46%

References - Chris — short for Christina/Christopher; Greek 'Christ'; unisex

Variations

KrisChrissyChristy

Nicknames

ChrissyCee

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Chris…

Christy— a like Christ- short form

Chrissy— a like Christ- nickname name

Kris— a spelling cousin

Christina— a name it shortens

Explore names like Chris

By themegreek short nickname-name cross-sex

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Chris mean?

Chris is a short form of Christina/Christine (or Christopher), from Greek 'anointed; Christ' - 'follower of Christ' by route.

How do you pronounce Chris?

It's said KRIS /ˈkrɪs/ - one syllable.

Is Chris a boy or girl name?

Chris is used for both girls and boys - we note the unisex use.

How popular is Chris?

Chris is a rare full name in the U.S. today.