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I'm with those who say Kris reads as slightly more feminine than neutral (although Kris could be masc and still be conventional).
Chris is a little tiny bit more neutral. However, I personally have known a lot more guys who went by Chris, than gals - so I think I would tend to assume Chris is a guy, even though I know better and wouldn't try a pronoun.

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For maximum gender-mystery (without sounding too young), I'd go with Robin or Lee.

This message was edited 12/6/2023, 4:33 PM

Depends on the language but I think in English Kris reads as feminine and Chris reads as neutral. I'd initially guess that Chris is a boy and short for Christopher, but I wouldn't be confident trying to guess pronouns for someone when all I know is "Chris" because it could easily be a girl short for Christina / Christine / Christa / etc. or not short for anything.

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For Kris, I'd actually probably use the last name to guess the gender. If the last name looks like it matches a European language that would have a name like Kristoffer or Kristian, then I'd be more likely to think masculine or neutral. But if the last name looks English I'd guess that Kris was a girl and that it was spelled with a K because of a trend.

Thanks everyone, I appreciate having a place to ask questions like this!

On its own, I think it's truly neutral. I know a German guy called Kris, so I associate it with him and that makes it seem masculine, but I also know women named Kris. In certain contexts it might seem more likely to be feminine or masculine, but just Kris is neutral.

Kris is 100% male to me, I've not really heard it on girls.

I know a guy named Kris and also Kris Kristofferson. It evokes probably male, maybe female to me.

I think the k tends to seem more feminine, but Chris is definitely more ambiguous, almost stereotypically so.

Neutral. I've known male and female Krises.

I only know 2 m Krises. Its truly unisex.

Completely neutral.

I think Kris is totally unisex, just like Chris.

more feminine, Chris would be more neutral

Well, there's Kris Kristofferson the country singer, whose actual name is Kristoffer shortened into Kris so it could be unisex-- but for me I see it more as a feminine. I don't really see it as a male name unless it's about Kris Kristofferson. Otherwise, girl name.