Chris History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Chris is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from the personal name Christman, which is more-or-less equivalent to Christian, which was once a popular personal name. The suffix -man means servant. Christman was a popular German name, and was probably imported from that country.

Early Origins of the Chris family

The surname Chris was first found in Hampshire, where William Cristeman was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for 1202. Years later, Walter Cristesmon was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Worcestershire in 1275. 1

Early History of the Chris family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chris research. Another 26 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1202 and 1275 are included under the topic Early Chris History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chris Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Chris include Christman, Christmann, Chrisman, Cristeman and many more.

Early Notables of the Chris family

More information is included under the topic Early Chris Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chris migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Chris Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Mathias Chris, aged 50, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1738 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Chris (post 1700) +

Mohammed Chris Alli (1944-2023), Nigerian Army major general
D. Chris Buttars (b. 1942), American former Republican politician, Member of the Utah State Senate (2001-2011)
John Chris Inglis (b. 1954), Deputy Director of the National Security Agency
James Chris Cacheris (b. 1933), American politician, U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Virginia, 1981-98, 1998- 3
W. Chris Peden, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Texas, 2008 4
Chris Hemsworth (b. 1983), Australian actor, best known for his role as Thor in the Marvel Studios films Thor (2011) and The Avengers (2012)
Chris Darkins (b. 1974), born Christopher Oji Darkins, an American NFL football running back for the Green Bay Packers (1996-1997)
Chris Cross (1952-2024), stage name of Christopher Thomas Allen, an English musician, best known as the bass guitarist in the new wave band Ultravox
Chris Mortensen (1951-2024), American journalist he provided for reports for ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown, Monday Night Countdown, SportsCenter, ESPN Radio, and ESPN.com
Chris Thorpe (b. 1970), American luge three-time silver medalist Olympic athlete

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html