Total births
14,400
Unisex name · since 1937
Kris
14,400 babies named Kris in U.S. Social Security records since 1937, with the highest year being 1962. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #3546
- among boys today
- 14,400
- born since 1937
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 75%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Kris is the #3546 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 14,400 recorded since 1937.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kris has been recorded 14,400 times among boys since 1937, currently ranked #3546 nationally and more common than 75% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1960s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1937 to 2025.
- #3546 among boys today
- 14,400 born since 1937
- 1960s peak decade
- 75% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kris is currently the #3546 unisex name in America, more common than 75% of boys - 14,400 born since 1937, peaking in the 1960s.
- #3546
- among boys today
- 14,400
- born since 1937
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 75%
- more common than other boys
Kris vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#3546
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 75% of names given to boys today.
1960s
Peak decade
29% of everyone ever named Kris was born in this single decade.
1962
Single peak year
513 babies were named Kris in 1962 - its busiest year on record.
How Kris compares
14,400 Top 7% higher than 93% 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
Kris's all-time total is 39x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kris | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 14,400 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 513 | 23 | 22,252 |
Kris's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Kris's full recorded timeline at 1982, 22% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 78% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1937, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1962 peak of 513 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Kris at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1962
Current rank
#3,546
Active since
1937
Kris popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1937–2025
- Peak year (1962)
- 513
- Annual births at peak, across 89 years of records
Kris popularity over time - girls
13,571 total births recorded since 1940 (Kris as girls' name)
Kris by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Kris's strongest decade.
4,152 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 29% of all-time use.
Kris births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1930s 11
1930s
11 births
- 1940s 422
1940s
422 births
- 1950s
1950s
2,634 births
- 1960s
1960s
4,152 births
- 1970s
1970s
3,681 births
- 1980s 1,184
1980s
1,184 births
- 1990s 667
1990s
667 births
- 2000s 748
2000s
748 births
- 2010s 646
2010s
646 births
- 2020s 255
2020s
255 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 4,152 births (29% of all-time use).
How Kris 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 Kris's total volume
Kris vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Kris by state
Where Kris concentrates geographically, total births since 1937
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,775 | 12.3% |
| #2 | New York | | 923 | 6.4% |
| #3 | Texas | | 889 | 6.2% |
| #4 | Michigan | | 801 | 5.6% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 635 | 4.4% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 593 | 4.1% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 541 | 3.8% |
| #8 | Indiana | | 409 | 2.8% |
California share of Kris's total US births 12.3%
Even split
1,775 of 14,400 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 47 reporting states.
Kris appears in 47 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kris? ▼
14,400 babies have been named Kris since 1937. It currently ranks #3546 among boys. The peak year was 1962 with 513 births.
When was Kris most popular? ▼
Kris was most popular in the 1960s decade with 4,152 total births. The single peak year was 1962.
Where is Kris most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kris are California (1,775 births), New York (923 births), Texas (889 births).
Is Kris a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Kris is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 14,400 births, and as a girl's name it has 13,571 births.
How long has the name Kris been used? ▼
Kris has been recorded in Social Security data since 1937, spanning 89 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Kris? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kristopher, Kristian, Kristofer, Krish, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Kris's data
- Kris's decade-level peak was the 1960s (4,152 total births); usage has since declined to 255 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Kriss (1,775 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 Kris
Nearby Names Like Kris
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kris
Kristopher Boy
#1166 63,251 births
Kristian Boy
#1123 20,814 births
Kristofer Boy
#3464 9,791 births
Krish Boy
#1354 4,811 births
Kristoffer Boy
#7882 3,940 births
Compare Kris side by side: Kris vs Kristopher Kris vs Kristian Kris vs Kristofer
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kris
Karon #3545
3,198 births · Peak 2005
Zackery #3547
17,748 births · Peak 1994
Zacharias #3544
2,074 births · Peak 2016
Darin #3548
32,546 births · Peak 1965
Wilfredo #3543
9,577 births · Peak 1980
Moishe #3549
1,201 births · Peak 2015
Davey #3542
3,346 births · Peak 1955
Marques #3550
8,070 births · Peak 1984
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, 1937–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kris: #3546 Unisex Name - 14,400 Births, Peak 1962." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kris. 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 Kris 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.