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Kris Family History

Kris Surname Meaning

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’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Kris family from?

You can see how Kris families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Kris family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Scotland between 1861 and 1920. The most Kris families were found in USA in 1920. In 1880 there were 12 Kris families living in New York. This was about 30% of all the recorded Kris's in USA. New York had the highest population of Kris families in 1880.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Kris surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Kris ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the USA named Kris. 34% of Kris men worked as a Farmer.

View Census Data for Kris | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

United States shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    34%
  • Laborer
    27%
  • Farm Laborer
    20%
  • Messinger
    20%

What Kris family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Kris. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Kris census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Kris

Passenger Lists

There are 828 immigration records available for the last name Kris. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Kris immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 212 military records available for the last name Kris. For the veterans among your Kris ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Kris military records

You've only scratched the surface of Kris family history

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What is the average Kris lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2003, in the United States, Kris life expectancy was at its lowest point in 2002, and highest in 1986. The average life expectancy for Kris in 1963 was 73, and 80 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Kris

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Kris ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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