Kris

Updated: October 10, 2023 by MomsWhoThink Staff

Kris is a trendy baby name for boys or girls. It goes back to more formal options like Kristian and Kristopher. As of 2021, Kris is a top 4,100 baby name for boys or girls.

Meaning of the Name Kris

Kris began as a nickname before it became a standalone option. It was the shortened form of names like Kristian and Kristopher. Both of the latter options were spelling variations of more popular titles like Christopher and Christian. Kris became a standalone option in the past couple of centuries.

The baby name Kris means “one who carries Christ” or “follower of Christ.” It has the same translation as longer options like Kristian and Kristopher. They were popular names in the early Christian church.

Sweet baby boy in bear overall, sleeping in bed with teddy bear stuffed toys, winter landscape behind him — ©Tomsickova Tatyana/Shutterstock.com

Nicknames for Kris

Kris is a simple and approachable name. This spelling variation makes it more trendy and should be paired with a similarly trendy nickname. If you're looking for a nickname for the Kris in your life, we've compiled a list below to help get you started.

KK
Kay
Krissy
Krissie
Ris
Riz
Koko

Kris Name Details

Style: Traditional

Gender: Neutral

Pronunciation: KRIS

Syllable: One

Alternative Spelling for Kris

Khris
Chris
Cris
Krys
Crys
Khrys
Chrys

Kris Name Popularity

Kris became a top 1,000 option in America in 1946 at rank 917. It remained on the Social Security Popularity Index until 1987 when it was number 945. Kris did best in 1963 at rank 345.