Chris is a boy name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Chris means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Chris across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Chris has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Chris is a boy name of Greek origin meaning “bearing Christ”. a short form of Christopher or Christine.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 170,417 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 973 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 290 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 26 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 215 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Chris per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1961 (8,774/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2013 (49/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2008 (18/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1988 (16/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2005 (5/yr).
Chris has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1961, when it ranked #102 nationally (given to 8,774 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1960s.
Kris · Carissa · Chrissy · Crissy · Charisse · Cris · Carisa · Charissa
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