Kris Family History

Slovak (Kriš rarely Kríš): variant of Križ or Kríž (see Kriz). Americanized form of Slovenian and Croatian Križ, Czech Kříž (see Kriz), and related Slovak names (see above). Compare Krish.

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.

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’.