At a glance
- U.S. rank 2025
- #646 of boy names
- Babies in 2025
- 431 (0.023% of boys)
- Trend
- Steady #676 in 2020 to #646 in 2025
- Peak
- #55 in 1966
- First recorded
- 1880
Meaning of Chris
Chris springs from sunny Greek shores—where “Christos” means “anointed” and rings with the same easy charm as a Bollywood chorus—and then zips across continents as the friendly, fast-talking nickname for Christopher or Christian. Picture him in the U.S. baby-name parade: a quiet extra in the early 1900s, suddenly break-dancing into the Top 100 by the paisley seventies, and now lounging mid-list around rank 500, still grinning like a cricket fan who’s snagged last-minute IPL tickets. Pop-culture points rain down: think superhero Chrises (Evans, Hemsworth, Pratt), guitar-strumming Chris Martin, or desi-fusion chef Chris Gayle whipping sixes over the boundary. Short, crisp, and sweet as jalebi, the name needs no passport and carries a built-in ice-breaker (“Call me Chris!”). Whether whispered “krees” in Athens or “kris” in Atlanta, it stays uncomplicated yet storied—a pocket-sized classic with enough sparkle to light up both Christmas fairy lights and Diwali diyas.
How to pronounce Chris
English
- Pronounced kris /krɪs/
Greek
- Pronounced krees /kris/
Popularity of Chris in the U.S.
Chris was the #646 boy name in the U.S. in 2025, with 431 babies. It peaked at #55 in 1966 and has been in the top 1,000 since 1880.
- Rank among U.S. boy names (right scale, #1 at the top)
Year-by-year table, 1880–2025 146 rows
| Year | Babies | Rank | vs previous year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 431 | 646 | ▲ 5 |
| 2024 | 424 | 651 | ▲ 122 |
| 2023 | 330 | 773 | ▼ 105 |
| 2022 | 408 | 668 | ▼ 10 |
| 2021 | 412 | 658 | ▲ 18 |
| 2020 | 382 | 676 | ▼ 106 |
| 2019 | 490 | 570 | ▲ 40 |
| 2018 | 440 | 610 | ▼ 15 |
| 2017 | 459 | 595 | ▼ 36 |
| 2016 | 514 | 559 | ▼ 53 |
| 2015 | 569 | 506 | ▲ 13 |
| 2014 | 539 | 519 | ▼ 64 |
| 2013 | 624 | 455 | ▼ 26 |
| 2012 | 648 | 429 | ▲ 31 |
| 2011 | 581 | 460 | ▼ 67 |
| 2010 | 721 | 393 | ▼ 35 |
| 2009 | 861 | 358 | ▼ 12 |
| 2008 | 944 | 346 | ▲ 3 |
| 2007 | 909 | 349 | ▲ 9 |
| 2006 | 842 | 358 | ▲ 38 |
| 2005 | 723 | 396 | ▼ 1 |
| 2004 | 676 | 395 | ▼ 7 |
| 2003 | 678 | 388 | ▼ 10 |
| 2002 | 692 | 378 | ▼ 1 |
| 2001 | 695 | 377 | ▲ 14 |
| 2000 | 651 | 391 | ▲ 5 |
| 1999 | 623 | 396 | ▲ 12 |
| 1998 | 599 | 408 | ▲ 20 |
| 1997 | 532 | 428 | ▼ 14 |
| 1996 | 552 | 414 | ▲ 48 |
| 1995 | 489 | 462 | ▲ 21 |
| 1994 | 442 | 483 | ▼ 10 |
| 1993 | 445 | 473 | ▼ 4 |
| 1992 | 462 | 469 | ▼ 30 |
| 1991 | 510 | 439 | ▲ 9 |
| 1990 | 489 | 448 | ▼ 47 |
| 1989 | 539 | 401 | – |
| 1988 | 497 | 401 | ▼ 26 |
| 1987 | 514 | 375 | ▼ 24 |
| 1986 | 537 | 351 | ▼ 26 |
| 1985 | 615 | 325 | ▼ 13 |
| 1984 | 626 | 312 | ▼ 9 |
| 1983 | 651 | 303 | ▼ 16 |
| 1982 | 713 | 287 | ▼ 28 |
| 1981 | 830 | 259 | ▼ 25 |
| 1980 | 991 | 234 | ▼ 45 |
| 1979 | 1,264 | 189 | ▼ 15 |
| 1978 | 1,339 | 174 | ▼ 14 |
| 1977 | 1,494 | 160 | ▼ 6 |
| 1976 | 1,597 | 154 | ▼ 22 |
| 1975 | 1,954 | 132 | ▼ 16 |
| 1974 | 2,279 | 116 | ▼ 20 |
| 1973 | 2,703 | 96 | ▼ 14 |
| 1972 | 3,472 | 82 | ▼ 14 |
| 1971 | 4,293 | 68 | ▼ 5 |
| 1970 | 4,460 | 63 | ▲ 3 |
| 1969 | 4,280 | 66 | ▼ 2 |
| 1968 | 4,249 | 64 | ▼ 4 |
| 1967 | 4,618 | 60 | ▼ 5 |
| 1966 | 5,257 | 55 | ▲ 5 |
| 1965 | 5,479 | 60 | ▲ 5 |
| 1964 | 5,639 | 65 | ▼ 6 |
| 1963 | 6,328 | 59 | ▲ 1 |
| 1962 | 6,791 | 60 | ▼ 3 |
| 1961 | 7,203 | 57 | ▲ 6 |
| 1960 | 6,494 | 63 | ▲ 9 |
| 1959 | 5,676 | 72 | ▲ 21 |
| 1958 | 4,457 | 93 | ▲ 27 |
| 1957 | 3,249 | 120 | ▲ 8 |
| 1956 | 2,533 | 128 | ▲ 11 |
| 1955 | 2,193 | 139 | ▲ 20 |
| 1954 | 1,801 | 159 | ▲ 9 |
| 1953 | 1,579 | 168 | ▼ 8 |
| 1952 | 1,687 | 160 | ▲ 13 |
| 1951 | 1,473 | 173 | ▲ 5 |
| 1950 | 1,249 | 178 | ▼ 10 |
| 1949 | 1,389 | 168 | ▲ 4 |
| 1948 | 1,286 | 172 | ▲ 13 |
| 1947 | 1,116 | 185 | ▲ 24 |
| 1946 | 827 | 209 | ▲ 33 |
| 1945 | 551 | 242 | ▲ 11 |
| 1944 | 529 | 253 | ▲ 39 |
| 1943 | 447 | 292 | ▲ 21 |
| 1942 | 383 | 313 | ▲ 14 |
| 1941 | 321 | 327 | ▼ 13 |
| 1940 | 317 | 314 | ▲ 43 |
| 1939 | 246 | 357 | ▲ 16 |
| 1938 | 228 | 373 | ▲ 25 |
| 1937 | 196 | 398 | ▲ 1 |
| 1936 | 190 | 399 | ▲ 5 |
| 1935 | 182 | 404 | ▲ 12 |
| 1934 | 181 | 416 | ▲ 54 |
| 1933 | 142 | 470 | ▼ 82 |
| 1932 | 208 | 388 | ▲ 66 |
| 1931 | 154 | 454 | ▼ 3 |
| 1930 | 172 | 451 | ▲ 1 |
| 1929 | 171 | 452 | ▲ 24 |
| 1928 | 164 | 476 | ▲ 15 |
| 1927 | 153 | 491 | ▼ 28 |
| 1926 | 168 | 463 | ▼ 18 |
| 1925 | 182 | 445 | ▲ 14 |
| 1924 | 178 | 459 | ▲ 35 |
| 1923 | 155 | 494 | ▼ 21 |
| 1922 | 169 | 473 | ▲ 37 |
| 1921 | 147 | 510 | ▼ 60 |
| 1920 | 180 | 450 | ▲ 76 |
| 1919 | 128 | 526 | ▼ 82 |
| 1918 | 179 | 444 | ▲ 33 |
| 1917 | 145 | 477 | ▼ 7 |
| 1916 | 148 | 470 | ▼ 14 |
| 1915 | 145 | 456 | ▼ 28 |
| 1914 | 126 | 428 | ▲ 55 |
| 1913 | 81 | 483 | ▼ 33 |
| 1912 | 76 | 450 | ▼ 4 |
| 1911 | 43 | 446 | ▲ 46 |
| 1910 | 32 | 492 | ▼ 158 |
| 1909 | 48 | 334 | ▲ 49 |
| 1908 | 37 | 383 | ▲ 46 |
| 1907 | 29 | 429 | ▼ 35 |
| 1906 | 30 | 394 | ▲ 36 |
| 1905 | 25 | 430 | ▼ 29 |
| 1904 | 27 | 401 | ▼ 83 |
| 1903 | 35 | 318 | ▼ 1 |
| 1902 | 37 | 317 | ▲ 42 |
| 1901 | 26 | 359 | ▼ 47 |
| 1900 | 45 | 312 | ▼ 23 |
| 1899 | 36 | 289 | ▲ 46 |
| 1898 | 33 | 335 | ▼ 24 |
| 1897 | 35 | 311 | ▼ 62 |
| 1896 | 53 | 249 | ▲ 27 |
| 1895 | 41 | 276 | ▼ 16 |
| 1894 | 45 | 260 | ▲ 15 |
| 1893 | 40 | 275 | ▼ 22 |
| 1892 | 49 | 253 | ▲ 38 |
| 1891 | 32 | 291 | ▲ 11 |
| 1890 | 32 | 302 | ▼ 51 |
| 1889 | 42 | 251 | ▼ 23 |
| 1888 | 59 | 228 | ▲ 11 |
| 1887 | 46 | 239 | ▼ 26 |
| 1886 | 62 | 213 | ▲ 20 |
| 1885 | 50 | 233 | ▼ 15 |
| 1884 | 57 | 218 | ▲ 11 |
| 1883 | 47 | 229 | ▲ 44 |
| 1882 | 39 | 273 | ▼ 62 |
| 1881 | 52 | 211 | ▲ 25 |
| 1880 | 49 | 236 | – |
Chris by state
Chris ranks #284 in Florida (2025).
Rank by state 24 states
| State | Rank | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | 284 | 71 |
| Kentucky | 345 | 14 |
| Nevada | 389 | 7 |
| New York | 407 | 42 |
| Indiana | 431 | 16 |
| Massachusetts | 438 | 11 |
| New Jersey | 469 | 16 |
| Pennsylvania | 489 | 20 |
| Iowa | 493 | 6 |
| Oklahoma | 552 | 7 |
| Louisiana | 591 | 7 |
| Tennessee | 592 | 12 |
| California | 615 | 47 |
| Missouri | 648 | 8 |
| Arizona | 672 | 9 |
| Texas | 730 | 37 |
| South Carolina | 743 | 5 |
| Michigan | 829 | 8 |
| Colorado | 849 | 5 |
| Virginia | 875 | 7 |
| Ohio | 940 | 8 |
| Illinois | 1,023 | 7 |
| North Carolina | 1,028 | 7 |
| Georgia | 1,216 | 6 |
| U.S. territories | ||
| Puerto Rico | 145 | 11 |
Notable people named Chris
- Chris Jericho is an American-Canadian professional wrestler and musician famed for his rock star persona and regarded as one of the greatest wrestlers ever.
- Chris Cornell — Christopher Cornell was the legendary frontman of Soundgarden and Audioslave, a celebrated solo artist, and founder of Temple of the Dog, widely regarded as one of rock's greatest vocalists.
- Chris Paul — Christopher Paul, known as CP3, is a legendary NBA point guard celebrated for his Olympic gold medals and record-setting career.
- Chris Evans — Christopher Evans is an American actor famous for his role as Captain America, making him one of the world's highest-paid and highest-grossing box office stars.
- Chris Hemsworth — Christopher Hemsworth is an Australian actor famous for playing Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which made him one of the world's highest-paid actors.
More people named Chris 8 more
- Chris Pratt — Christopher Michael Pratt is an American actor and film producer whose leading roles have grossed over $14.1 billion worldwide, making him one of Hollywood's highest-grossing and most bankable stars.
- Chris Stapleton — Christopher Stapleton is an American singer-songwriter who left Vanderbilt University to pursue a music career and signed with Sea Gayle Music.
- Chris Pine — Christopher Pine is an American actor best known for playing James T. Kirk in the Star Trek reboot series and Steve Trevor in the Wonder Woman films.
- Chris Packham — Christopher Packham is an English naturalist and television presenter, celebrated for hosting The Really Wild Show and the Springwatch series.
- Chris Long — Christopher Long is a former NFL defensive end who played for 11 seasons and won Super Bowls with both the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles.
- Chris Gardner — Christopher Gardner overcame homelessness to become a successful businessman, and his inspiring journey was depicted in the film "The Pursuit of Happyness."
- Chris Buescher — Christopher Buescher is an American stock car racing champion who won the 2012 ARCA and 2015 Xfinity Series titles and is cousins with fellow NASCAR champion James Buescher.
- Chris Whitty — Sir Christopher John MacRae Whitty is a British epidemiologist serving as England's Chief Medical Officer and the UK Government's Chief Medical Adviser since 2019.