Explore the Family Name Kris
The meaning of Kris
1. Slovak (Kriš, rarely Kríš): variant of Križ or Kríž (see Kriz). 2. Americanized form of Slovenian and Croatian Križ, Czech Kříž (see Kriz), and related Slovak names (see above). Compare Krish. 3. American shortened (and altered) form of Bulgarian and Macedonian Kristov (see Kristoff) and of some other related Slavic surnames, beginning with Kris-, Kriš-, Kriz-, Križ-, or Krst- (see e.g. Kristof, Krizan, and Krstic). Compare Chris, Criss, and Kriss. 4. Jewish (from Ukraine and southeastern Poland): perhaps a nickname or a metonymic occupational name, from Ukrainian kris ‘flint lock, firelock’. Alternatively, it could be a nickname from Polish krys ‘end, limit’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Kris in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Kris has seen a slight increase in popularity over the years. In 2000, it was ranked 65,298th in terms of popularity with a count of 284. As of 2010, this ranking improved to 64,388 with a count of 309, indicating an increase of 1.39% in rank and 8.8% in count. However, its proportion per 100k people slightly dropped by 9.09% from 0.11 to 0.10.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #65,298 | #64,388 | 1.39% |
| Count | 284 | 309 | 8.8% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.11 | 0.1 | -9.09% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Kris
Regarding ethnicity, again based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the Kris surname has shown some shifts in ethnic identity over a decade. The percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander rose significantly by 65.53% from 5.28% in 2000 to 8.74% in 2010. However, the percentage of individuals with two or more races dropped to zero in 2010 from 1.76% in 2000. The majority of people with the Kris surname continue to identify as White, although this percentage slightly decreased by 1.10% from 88.03% in 2000 to 87.06% in 2010. Hispanic representation also fell slightly by 7.72%, while the percentages for Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native remained at zero.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 88.03% | 87.06% | -1.1% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 5.28% | 8.74% | 65.53% |
| Hispanic | 2.46% | 2.27% | -7.72% |
| Two or More Races | 1.76% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |