NameRealm
Kris

Kris: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning
“follower of Christ”
Origin
Greek
Say it
KRIS · 1 syllable
Used for
Both (49% girls, 51% boys since 1880)

Kris is a short form of Kristoffer, Kristian, Kristen, Kristina, or similar names derived from Christian and Christopher families. The exact source name can vary by bearer.

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How popular is Kris?

202412.0 per million US babies
1880192019602000
Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Babies named Kris in 202440

2024 rank#3,538 boys

Peak year1965

Total US babies since 188027,925

Kris is steady now but far below its 1965 peak.

Names like Kris

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

  • Angelmessenger · Greek
  • Phoenixdark red · Greek
  • Onyxclaw; black gemstone · Greek
  • Oceanocean, great sea · Greek
  • Parisuncertain meaning · Greek
  • Cleoglory · Greek
  • IndigoIndian dye, indigo blue · Greek
  • Psalmsacred song · Greek

Kris questions

What does the name Kris mean?

Kris means "follower of Christ". It comes from Greek. Kris is a short form of Kristoffer, Kristian, Kristen, Kristina, or similar names derived from Christian and Christopher families. The exact source name can vary by bearer.

Is Kris a boy or girl name?

Kris is used for both: about 49% of US babies named Kris since 1880 were girls.

How popular is Kris?

40 US babies were named Kris in 2024. Its peak year was 1965.

How do you pronounce Kris?

Kris is usually pronounced KRIS.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.