Chris

Chris is primarily a male first name, often used as a short form of Christoph, which means 'the bearer of Christ', and Christian, which means 'the anointed one'. Additionally, Chris can also appear as a girl's name, representing a shortened form of Christina, Christine, and similar variants.

What does the name Chris mean?

Chris is mainly a masculine first name, used as a short form of Christoph ('the bearer of Christ') and Christian ('the anointed one'). However, it can also be used for girls, in which case it is a diminutive of names like Christina and Christine. The name can also be interpreted as 'the anointed one' or 'the female follower of Christ'. Its roots lie in Ancient Greek. Christoph is composed of the elements khrīstós ‎(χρῑστός), meaning 'the anointed one', 'the consecrated one', or 'the Messiah', and phérein (φέρειν), meaning 'to bring' or 'to carry'. Christian and Christina are derived solely from khrīstós ‎(χρῑστός). The name made its way into German naming conventions around the 1960s. Chris gained popularity through the veneration of Saint Christopher, who carried the young Jesus across a river and lived in the 3rd century. He is considered the patron saint of sailors, ferrymen, and drivers. Other diminutives include Cris, Kris, Kriss, Kitt, and Kit.

Where does the name Chris come from?

The etymology of Chris as a male and female first name is Ancient Greek and means 'the anointed one'. The name is derived from Christoph, where khrīstós ‎(χρῑστός) stands for 'the anointed one', 'the consecrated one', or 'the Messiah', and phérō ‎(φέρω) or phérein (φέρειν) means 'to bring' or 'to carry'. Alternatively, it can also be derived from Christian, where khrīstós ‎(χρῑστός) has the same meaning. The languages in which the name appears are Danish, German, English, and Dutch.

How do you pronounce Chris?

The pronunciation of Chris is concise and monosyllabic. In German, the name is usually pronounced as 'Kris' [kʁɪs], starting with a clear K sound, which conveys a certain directness. The short I contributes to a compact sound, while the sharp S ending gives the name a distinct form. Chris conveys a modern, straightforward impression - confident, present, and uncomplicated.

When is the name day of Chris?

The name day for Chris is celebrated on May 9, July 24, and July 25.

Popularity

In Germany, Chris enjoys great popularity and currently ranks 1,046th on the list of the most common male baby names. Its best result was achieved in 2006 with rank 121. In the last ten years, Chris has been given as a first name around 1,100 times, placing it 491st in the ten-year statistics. Between 2010 and 2024, it ranks 457th.

Nicknames & pet names

Chi / Chissel / Chrille / Chrisbo / Chrische / Chrischi / Chrischo / ChrisChros / Chrisi / Chrisiou / Chrisl / Chriso / Chrisona / Chrispi / Chrissi / Chrissipissi / Chrisstoffeline / Chrissy / Christ / Christa / Christanze / Christo / Christoffel / Chrisy / Cici / Cirby / Crie-Crie / Crischi / Criscros / Crishy / Crisps / Crispy / Criss-Cross / Crissy / Grissi

Similar first names

Famous people

• Chris Abbott (writer from the USA)
• Chris Alcock (South African rugby player)
• Chris Bailey (American sculptor)
• Chris Barfoot (English film director)
• Chris Bostock (American musician)
• Chris Broadribb (writer from Australia)
• Chris Brown (singer)
• Chris Colfer (actor)
• Chris Cooper (American baseball player)
• Chris Corner (singer under the pseudonym IAMX)
• Chris Cox (British magician)
• Chris Crooms (American soccer player)
• Chris Daughtry (lead singer of the band Daughtry)
• Chris de Burgh (singer and songwriter ('Lady in Red'))
• Chris DeRose (writer from the USA)
• Chris Doerk (German schlager singer, actress, photographer, and ex-wife of schlager singer Frank Schöbel)
• Chris Durkin (soccer player from America)
• Chris Ehrlich (magician)
• Chris Enss (American writer)
• Chris Evans (actor ('Fantastic Four'))