Chris
Boy name · #646 in 2025 · Rare
How old is the name Chris? In official American birth records, Chris has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Chris ranks #646 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 431 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #506, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 4,176 boys born in 2025 was named Chris.
The 145-year story
Chris first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 49 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1961, when 7,203 boys were named Chris — good for #57 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Chris per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Chris against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Chris in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Chris is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Chris will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Chris is most common
Geography matters for names, and Chris is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Chris is most common in FL (0.7 per 1,000), KY (0.7 per 1,000), IN (0.5 per 1,000), NY (0.5 per 1,000), MA (0.4 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.3 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Chris is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Chris
Chris belongs to the Christopher family — closely related nicknames and spellings of the same name.
ChristopherChrisTopher
Counted as one name, the Christopher family went to about 5,179 boys in 2025 — together they'd rank around #60, versus #646 for Chris alone.
Names like Chris
Statistically, parents drawn to Chris tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Dennis, Curtis, Douglas, Bruce, and Tony.
DennisCurtisDouglasBruceTonyDannyRogerCraig
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Chris | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 431 | #646 |
| 2024 | 424 | #651 |
| 2023 | 330 | #773 |
| 2022 | 408 | #668 |
| 2021 | 412 | #658 |
| 2020 | 382 | #676 |
| 2019 | 490 | #570 |
| 2018 | 440 | #610 |
| 2017 | 459 | #595 |
| 2016 | 514 | #559 |
| 2015 | 569 | #506 |
| 2014 | 539 | #519 |
| 2013 | 624 | #455 |
| 2012 | 648 | #429 |
| 2011 | 581 | #460 |
| 2010 | 721 | #393 |
| 2009 | 861 | #358 |
| 2008 | 944 | #346 |
| 2007 | 909 | #349 |
| 2006 | 842 | #358 |
| 2005 | 723 | #396 |
| 2004 | 676 | #395 |
| 2003 | 678 | #388 |
| 2002 | 692 | #378 |
| 2001 | 695 | #377 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Chris?
In official American birth records, the name Chris first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 49 newborn boys received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Chris a popular boy name?
Chris ranked #646 among boys in 2025 with 431 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #506.
When was the name Chris most popular?
Chris peaked in 1961, when 7,203 American boys received the name (ranked #57 that year). Since 1961 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Chris?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 4,176 newborn American boys was named Chris. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.