Cris

♀ Girl

Pronounced KRIS /ˈkrɪs/High

Meaning: A short form of Cristina, Cristal or Cristian, from the Latin Christianus — 'a Christian,' behind that the Greek christos, 'anointed.' It is a unisex short name, used for both girls and boys, which we note.Low

In 30 seconds: A one-beat short form of Cristina or Cristian, from Latin for 'a Christian' (said 'KRIS'). Unisex, which we note.

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Origin MediumLatin, Spanish

MeaningA short form of Cristina, Cristal or Cristian, from the Latin Christianus — 'a Christian,' behind that the Greek christos, 'anointed.' It is a unisex short name, used for both girls and boys, which we note.

U.S. rank (2024)#13810 ↗ Rising

2024 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1960

Total births (all-time)≈ 1,094

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

Cris is a short form of Cristina, Cristal or Cristian, names from the Latin Christianus, 'a Christian,' and the Greek christos, 'anointed.' The spelling without the h is common in Spanish and Portuguese. It is thoroughly unisex, which we note. Brisk and friendly (said 'KRIS').

In the U.S. it appears very rarely as a formal name. Rare, brisk, and unisex.

Did you know? Cris works in two languages at once — the Spanish and Portuguese short form of Cristina and Cristiano, and the English clip of Christine; it serves girls and boys alike, which we note (said 'KRIS').

Overall data confidence 48%

References — Cris — Short form of Cristina/Cristian; Latin Christianus; unisex

Variations

ChrisCristinaKrys

Nicknames

CrissyCricri

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Cris…

Cristina— the full name Cris shortens

Chris— a spelling twin of the same short form

Christa— a like short Christ- name

Clark— a similarly popular pick

Cruz— shares Cris's Latin roots

Explore names like Cris

By themeunisex spanish short nickname-name

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Cris mean?

Cris is a short form of Cristina, Cristal or Cristian — from the Latin for 'a Christian.'

How do you pronounce Cris?

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

Is Cris a boy or girl name?

Cris is unisex — used for both girls and boys, which we note.

How popular is Cris?

Cris is very rare in the U.S. as a formal given name.