Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 1965

Kris

Gender Unisex · 49% girls Rank 2025 #3,218 Trend ↓ Falling 54%

A diminutive of the female given names Kristina, Kristin, Kristine and related given names (Christina, etc).

Rank 2025
#3,218
among boys · ↑351 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
45
named Kris · +13% vs 2024
How common
1 in 46,164
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1965
1,387 babies
All-time total
27,971
#993 all-time among boys
First recorded
1937
in Social Security records

Kris popularity over time

27,971 babies have been named Kris since 1937, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.190.380.560.7518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – – – – – –
1920s – – – – – –
1930s – 11 11 1 – #3,297
1940s 503 422 925 93 +8309% #666
1950s 2,891 2,634 5,525 553 +497% #362
1960s 7,158 4,152 11,310 1,131 +105% #344
1970s 2,009 3,681 5,690 569 -50% #379
1980s 462 1,184 1,646 165 -71% #591
1990s 216 667 883 88 -46% #1,215
2000s 120 748 868 87 -2% #1,587
2010s 159 646 805 81 -7% #1,835
2020s (to 2025) 53 255 308 51 -36% #2,158

Where Kris is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 33 0.02 outside top 500
2027 30 0.02 outside top 500
2028 27 0.02 outside top 500
2029 25 0.01 outside top 500
2030 24 0.01 outside top 500

The story of Kris

Kris is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,218 in 2025 with 37 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1937, 27,971 American babies have been named Kris, about 51% boys and 49% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1965, when 1,387 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1960s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Kris stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Kris?

The median living Kris is about 59 years old; half are between 50 and 64. An estimated 25 thousand people named Kris are alive in the United States today.

median 59 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Kris year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 8 #11,463 37 #3,218
2024 8 #11,683 32 #3,569
2023 9 #10,783 28 #3,950
2022 5 #16,614 34 #3,442
2021 10 #9,969 59 #2,341
2020 13 #8,213 65 #2,158
2019 12 #8,863 83 #1,835
2018 14 #7,980 73 #2,008
2017 15 #7,664 74 #1,947
2016 16 #7,445 57 #2,320
2015 24 #5,582 59 #2,266
2014 17 #7,166 63 #2,170
2013 19 #6,604 60 #2,191
2012 11 #10,101 72 #1,976
2011 15 #8,009 55 #2,330
2010 16 #7,735 50 #2,494
2009 15 #8,261 102 #1,587
2008 13 #9,273 80 #1,835
2007 11 #10,511 82 #1,787
2006 10 #11,060 87 #1,652
2005 12 #9,185 73 #1,796
2004 18 #6,645 63 #1,945
2003 12 #8,807 59 #1,973
2002 16 #6,889 72 #1,656
2001 6 #14,501 74 #1,608
2000 7 #12,523 56 #1,887
1995 22 #4,615 65 #1,484
1990 30 #3,576 79 #1,246
1985 37 #2,622 98 #921
1980 96 #1,324 214 #591
1975 141 #922 323 #439
1970 437 #470 415 #393
1965 978 #277 409 #384
1960 575 #398 469 #362
1955 260 #567 239 #474
1950 104 #871 106 #675
1945 45 #1,180 26 #1,314
1940 8 #3,362 9 #2,584
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Kris

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Kris Jenner Kris Jenner American media personality (born 1955) Contemporary
  2. 2 Kris Kristofferson Kris Kristofferson American singer and actor (1936–2024) Contemporary
  3. 3 Kris Humphries Kris Humphries American basketball player (born 1985) Contemporary
  4. 4 Kris Marshall Kris Marshall English actor (born 1973) Contemporary
  5. 5 Kris Wu Kris Wu Chinese Canadian rapist and former rapper and singer (born 1990) Contemporary
  6. 6 Kris Boyd Kris Boyd Scottish footballer (born 1983) Contemporary
  7. 7 Kris Letang Kris Letang Canadian ice hockey player (born 1987) Contemporary
  8. 8 Kris Dunn Kris Dunn American basketball player (born 1994) Contemporary
  9. 9 Kris Allen Kris Allen American singer-songwriter from Arkansas b. 1985 · Contemporary
  10. 10 Kris Commons Kris Commons Scottish footballer (born 1983) Contemporary
  11. 11 Kris Meeke Kris Meeke British rally driver (born 1979) Contemporary
  12. 12 Kris Peeters Kris Peeters Belgian politician b. 1962 · Contemporary
  13. 13 Kris Stadsgaard Kris Stadsgaard Danish footballer (born 1985) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Kris, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Kris?

The median living Kris is about 59 years old. Half of all living Kriss are between 50 and 64 years old.

How many people named Kris are alive today?

An estimated 25 thousand people named Kris are alive in the United States, based on 27,971 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Kris mean?

A diminutive of the female given names Kristina, Kristin, Kristine and related given names (Christina, etc).

How popular is the name Kris in 2025?

Kris ranked #3,218 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 37 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Kris?

27,971 babies have been named Kris in the United States since 1937, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Kris most popular?

Kris peaked in 1965, when 1,387 newborns received the name.

Is Kris a boy or girl name?

Kris is used for both: about 49% of babies named Kris have been girls and 51% boys.

Is the name Kris rising or falling?

Kris is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Kris become more popular?

Kris is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 24 boys named Kris in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Kris?

Well-known people named Kris include Kris Jenner (actor), Kris Kristofferson (singer), Kris Humphries (basketball player).

Names like Kris

Names that sound and feel close to Kris: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Kris with similar names → More names starting with K →