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Kriss

Boy name · 23 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Kriss: 23 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to boys, peaking at 4 births in 1988.

Kriss is a short form of Kristopher or Kristian, ultimately from the Greek *Christos*, meaning "anointed one." While often a nickname, it stands independently in Scotland, where it gained modest popularity in the 1970s and 1980s. The most famous bearer is Kriss Akabusi, the British Olympic sprinter and 400m hurdles silver medallist, whose energetic personality made him a household name in the UK. The name also appears in pop culture through Kriss Kross, the 1990s American hip-hop duo known for wearing their clothes backwards. As a variant, it shares roots with the more common Chris, but the double 's' gives it a distinctive, punchy feel. In Scotland, it occasionally appears as a given name for both boys and girls, though it remains far less common than its longer forms.