Adopted 7 June 1927 on 92I/NE, as labelled on Dominion sectional sheet 111, Kamloops, 1916, and on township plan (date not cited).

Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office

Named after Christopher Pumpmaker, 1869. In his 1889 notebook, A. Driscoll, DLS, uses the spelling "Chris Creek". Later this became "Cris" (document not cited) and on a 1910 plan by Joseph E. Ross, DLS, it is spelled "Criss Creek", probably the latest plan used to establish the name of the adjacent post office in 1914.

Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office

"Mrs. Williams' ranch at the forks of Deadmans Creek and Criss Creek was taken up in the early '60s by a Hollander named Christopher Pumpmaker, an old packer. He was always spoken of as "old Chris" and the creek at his place was naturally called after him Chris Creek. But in latter days the government surveyors have changed it to Criss Creek.... Christopher Pumpmaker died in 1876 and Si Hemans bought the ranch, selling it to Tingley in 1884 who sold it to Williams....." (23 May 1919 advice from H.P. Christie, Government Agent, Ashcroft, conveyed by 26 May 1919 letter to Geographic Board of Canada, from Fleet Robertson, BC member on the Board) "It is unfortunate that the spelling of the name was not fixed before the Post Office was opened...." (29 May 1919 reply from R. Douglas, secretary, GBC, overruling BC's recommendation to change the spelling of the creek name)

Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office