Kris
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- KRIS
- Origin
- Greek
- UK rank, 2025
- #3,329 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #3,180 for boys
Kris is a boys' name of Greek origin, meaning “bearing Christ; follower of Christ”. In 2025 it ranked 3,329th for boys in the UK (6 babies) and 3,180th for boys in the US (37 babies).
What does Kris mean?
Greek: short form of Kristopher or Kristian
“bearing Christ; follower of Christ”
A short form of Kristopher and Kristian, both built on Greek Khristos, the anointed one.
Is Kris a girl's or a boy's name?
Kris is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 6 boys in the UK and 8 girls and 37 boys in the US.
How popular is Kris in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #3,329among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 6about 1 in 50,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 22% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 6 boys in the UK were named Kris, making it the 3,329th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 3,502nd. Its busiest year was 1996, with 43 boys.
Half of all the boys named Kris in the UK since 1996 were born between 2000 and 2011. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
In 2025, 40 boys in the UK were given Kris or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #781, up from #3,329 for this spelling alone.
- Chris 34
- Kris 6
Among boys in 2025, it was 3,239th in England and Wales.
Kris in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6 | #3,329 |
| 2024 | 5 | #3,772 |
| 2023 | 7 | #2,965 |
| 2022 | 5 | #3,639 |
| 2021 | 4 | #4,188 |
| 2020 | 5 | #3,502 |
| 2019 | 7 | #2,878 |
| 2018 | 11 | #2,088 |
| 2017 | 12 | #2,037 |
| 2016 | 11 | #2,143 |
| 2015 | 9 | #2,425 |
| 2014 | 10 | #2,207 |
| 2013 | 11 | #2,033 |
| 2012 | 20 | #1,342 |
| 2011 | 9 | #2,311 |
| 2010 | 17 | #1,508 |
| 2009 | 25 | #1,115 |
| 2008 | 42 | #766 |
| 2007 | 28 | #973 |
| 2006 | 27 | #959 |
| 2005 | 24 | #997 |
| 2004 | 18 | #1,140 |
| 2003 | 18 | #1,081 |
| 2002 | 21 | #918 |
| 2001 | 17 | #1,008 |
| 2000 | 23 | #812 |
| 1999 | 24 | #755 |
| 1998 | 18 | #906 |
| 1997 | 32 | #599 |
| 1996 | 43 | #473 |
How popular is Kris in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #3,180among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 37about 1 in 46,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 56% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 37 boys in the US were named Kris, making it the 3,180th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,139th. Its busiest year was 1962, with 513 boys. It first appears in the records in 1937. 8 girls were also named Kris in 2025 (10,913th for girls).
Half of all the boys named Kris in the US since 1880 were born between 1961 and 1979, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 497 boys in the US were given Kris or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #569, up from #3,180 for this spelling alone.
Girls were 46% of the babies named Kris in the US in 1943, and 18% in 2025.
Kris in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 37 | #3,180 |
| 2024 | 32 | #3,522 |
| 2023 | 28 | #3,880 |
| 2022 | 34 | #3,410 |
| 2021 | 59 | #2,320 |
| 2020 | 65 | #2,139 |
| 2019 | 83 | #1,823 |
| 2018 | 73 | #1,993 |
| 2017 | 74 | #1,935 |
| 2016 | 57 | #2,305 |
| 2015 | 59 | #2,252 |
| 2014 | 63 | #2,152 |
| 2013 | 60 | #2,181 |
| 2012 | 72 | #1,958 |
| 2011 | 55 | #2,316 |
| 2010 | 50 | #2,466 |
| 2009 | 102 | #1,580 |
| 2008 | 80 | #1,825 |
| 2007 | 82 | #1,781 |
| 2006 | 87 | #1,638 |
| 2005 | 73 | #1,787 |
| 2004 | 63 | #1,930 |
| 2003 | 59 | #1,958 |
| 2002 | 72 | #1,644 |
| 2001 | 74 | #1,596 |
| 2000 | 56 | #1,871 |
| 1999 | 55 | #1,798 |
| 1998 | 63 | #1,639 |
| 1997 | 60 | #1,654 |
| 1996 | 65 | #1,530 |
| 1995 | 65 | #1,472 |
| 1994 | 67 | #1,430 |
| 1993 | 66 | #1,426 |
| 1992 | 86 | #1,206 |
| 1991 | 61 | #1,446 |
| 1990 | 79 | #1,233 |
| 1989 | 73 | #1,263 |
| 1988 | 91 | #1,030 |
| 1987 | 100 | #942 |
| 1986 | 92 | #953 |
| 1985 | 98 | #917 |
| 1984 | 121 | #793 |
| 1983 | 111 | #827 |
| 1982 | 125 | #788 |
| 1981 | 159 | #686 |
| 1980 | 214 | #589 |
| 1979 | 299 | #476 |
| 1978 | 380 | #397 |
| 1977 | 398 | #395 |
| 1976 | 298 | #453 |
| 1975 | 323 | #438 |
| 1974 | 416 | #377 |
| 1973 | 356 | #416 |
| 1972 | 399 | #394 |
| 1971 | 397 | #405 |
| 1970 | 415 | #393 |
| 1969 | 365 | #415 |
| 1968 | 282 | #456 |
| 1967 | 319 | #426 |
| 1966 | 357 | #397 |
| 1965 | 409 | #383 |
| 1964 | 433 | #380 |
| 1963 | 504 | #343 |
| 1962 | 513 | #346 |
| 1961 | 501 | #355 |
| 1960 | 469 | #362 |
| 1959 | 467 | #361 |
| 1958 | 439 | #371 |
| 1957 | 358 | #408 |
| 1956 | 267 | #462 |
| 1955 | 239 | #473 |
| 1954 | 204 | #507 |
| 1953 | 193 | #500 |
| 1952 | 216 | #471 |
| 1951 | 145 | #572 |
| 1950 | 106 | #673 |
| 1949 | 107 | #663 |
| 1948 | 94 | #687 |
| 1947 | 60 | #899 |
| 1946 | 53 | #911 |
| 1945 | 26 | #1,295 |
| 1944 | 36 | #1,107 |
| 1943 | 19 | #1,635 |
| 1942 | 8 | #2,711 |
| 1941 | 10 | #2,333 |
| 1940 | 9 | #2,478 |
| 1939 | 6 | #3,112 |
| 1938 | 0 | – |
| 1937 | 5 | #3,516 |
Names like Kris
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Luke Jason Christopher Michael Daniel Matthew Nicholas Adam Jamie Patrick Kit Alexander
Other spellings of Kris
Names related to Kris
More Greek names
Luca Theodore Sophia George Theo Lucas Sofia Sebastian Penelope Phoebe Margot Chloe Sophie Zoe Iris Maisie
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Kris: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/kris, updated 20 October 2026.