Total births
147,462
Unisex name · since 1880
Chris
Chris has 147,462 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1961 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #651
- among boys today
- 147,462
- born since 1880
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Chris is the #651 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 147,462 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Chris recorded 147,462 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #651 nationally today, ahead of 95% of boys, peaking in the 1960s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #651 among boys today
- 147,462 born since 1880
- 1960s peak decade
- 95% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Chris is currently the #651 unisex name in America, more common than 95% of boys - 147,462 born since 1880, peaking in the 1960s.
- #651
- among boys today
- 147,462
- born since 1880
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other boys
Chris vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#651
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 95% of names given to boys today.
1960s
Peak decade
38% of everyone ever named Chris was born in this single decade.
1961
Single peak year
7,203 babies were named Chris in 1961 - its busiest year on record.
How Chris compares
147,462 Top 2% higher than 98% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Chris's all-time total is 402x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Chris | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 147,462 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 7,203 | 23 | 22,252 |
Chris's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Chris splits its recorded history at 1953: 88% of all births land in the more recent half, 12% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1905 (25 births) -- compare that against the 1961 peak of 7,203 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Chris at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1961
Current rank
#651
Active since
1880
Chris popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1961)
- 7,203
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Chris popularity over time - girls
22,955 total births recorded since 1914 (Chris as girls' name)
Chris by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Chris's strongest decade.
56,338 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 38% of all-time use.
Chris births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 503
1880s
503 births
- 1890s 396
1890s
396 births
- 1900s 339
1900s
339 births
- 1910s 1,103
1910s
1,103 births
- 1920s 1,667
1920s
1,667 births
- 1930s 1,899
1930s
1,899 births
- 1940s 7,166
1940s
7,166 births
- 1950s
1950s
25,897 births
- 1960s
1960s
56,338 births
- 1970s
1970s
24,855 births
- 1980s 6,513
1980s
6,513 births
- 1990s 5,143
1990s
5,143 births
- 2000s 7,671
2000s
7,671 births
- 2010s 5,585
2010s
5,585 births
- 2020s 2,387
2020s
2,387 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 56,338 births (38% of all-time use).
How Chris compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Chris's total volume
Chris vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Chris by state
Where Chris concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 19,112 | 13.0% |
| #2 | Texas | | 11,775 | 8.0% |
| #3 | New York | | 9,436 | 6.4% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 6,947 | 4.7% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 6,680 | 4.5% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 6,385 | 4.3% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 5,459 | 3.7% |
| #8 | Indiana | | 4,370 | 3.0% |
California share of Chris's total US births 13.0%
Even split
19,112 of 147,462 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Chris appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Chris? ▼
Chris has been given to 147,462 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #651 as of the latest data. 7,203 babies were born in 1961, its single highest year.
When was Chris most popular? ▼
Chris was most popular in the 1960s decade with 56,338 total births. The single peak year was 1961.
Where is Chris most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Chris are California (19,112 births), Texas (11,775 births), New York (9,436 births).
Is Chris a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Chris is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 147,462 births, and as a girl's name it has 22,955 births.
How long has the name Chris been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Chris since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Chris? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Christopher, Christian, Christophe, Christ, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Chris's data
- Chris's decade-level peak was the 1960s (56,338 total births); usage has since declined to 2,387 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Chriss (19,112 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Chris
Nearby Names Like Chris
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Chris
Christopher Boy
#61 2,069,596 births
Christian Boy
#77 453,968 births
Christophe Boy
#8420 4,476 births
Christ Boy
#3606 3,977 births
Christofer Boy
#3715 3,856 births
Compare Chris side by side: Chris vs Christopher Chris vs Christian Chris vs Christophe
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Chris
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Chris: #651 Unisex Name - 147,462 Births, Peak 1961." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/chris. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Chris draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.