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At a Glance: Name: Chris – Meaning: a short form used for several longer names (Christopher 'bearer of Christ', Christian, Christina, Christine 'follower of Christ'), and also used independently – Origin: Greek (short form of several Christ- names) – Gender: Neutral – Pronunciation: KRIS
Chris is a short, easy, unisex name that works well today, pronounced KRIS. It grew out of longer names like Christopher, Christian, Christina, and Christine, and has also been used on its own for just as long. You may have heard that Chris means 'bearer of Christ,' but that's not quite right — as a short form it doesn't carry one fixed meaning, since the fuller names behind it actually mean slightly different things, from 'bearer of' to 'follower of' Christ.
Meaning & Origin of Chris
Meaning: A short form used for several longer names (christopher 'bearer of christ', christian, christina, christine 'follower of christ'), and also used independently.
Origin: Greek (short form of several Christ- names).
A common claim: Chris is popularly said to mean 'bearer of Christ' Actually: Chris itself doesn't have one fixed meaning — it's a short form of several different Christ- names whose meanings differ slightly ('bearer of' vs. 'follower of' Christ).
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Chris
Phonetic: KRIS IPA: /ˈkrɪs/
Popularity of Chris
Chris has been recorded in the U.S. since 1880 and peaked at #55 in 1966, when 5,257 babies were given the name; by 2024 it had fallen to #650, given to 423 babies.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1880–2024.
Make Chris Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Chris, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Chris mean?
A short form used for several longer names (christopher ‘bearer of christ’, christian, christina, christine ‘follower of christ’), and also used independently. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Chris)
How do you pronounce Chris?
Chris is pronounced KRIS (IPA: /ˈkrɪs/).
Is Chris a popular name right now?
Chris peaked at #55 in 1966 and is ranked #650 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1880–2024.)
📊 How popular is Chris? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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