Chris Brown's Real Name: Christopher Maurice Brown

Quick answer: Chris Brown's documented full name is Christopher Maurice Brown. He was born on May 5, 1989, in Tappahannock, Virginia. He is an American R&B singer whose debut single, "Run It!," reached number one, and whose later album F.A.M.E. was his first Billboard 200 chart-topper (Britannica).

Real name and early life

Britannica gives his name in full as Christopher Maurice Brown and lists that form under "also known as," with the birth date May 5, 1989, in Tappahannock, Virginia. The Library of Congress heading is "Brown, Chris, 1989-," with the variant "Brown, Christopher Maurice, 1989-." A Library of Congress citation to the International Who's Who in Popular Music likewise records Christopher (Chris) Brown, born May 5, 1989, in Tappahannock. Britannica says he discovered a love for dancing and singing and, at 15, was signed to Jive Records.

Career highlights

His first album, the self-titled Chris Brown, debuted in 2005, Britannica says, and sales climbed on the strength of the chart-topping single "Run It!" In 2006 he was nominated for two Grammy Awards, including best new artist. In 2007 he appeared in the film Stomp the Yard, the television series The O.C., and the holiday film This Christmas. Late that year he released his second album, Exclusive, which featured collaborations with Lil Wayne and Kanye West and the single "Kiss Kiss," with T-Pain, which reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100.

Two years after the 2009 album Graffiti, he rebounded with F.A.M.E., which became his first number one album on the Billboard 200 and won a Grammy Award for best R&B album. In 2012 he released the chart-topping Fortune. Later albums listed by Britannica include X (2014), Royalty (2015), the double albums Heartbreak on a Full Moon (2017) and Indigo (2019), the mixtape Slime & B (2020) with Young Thug, Breezy (2022), and 11:11 (2023).

Legal matters

On June 22, 2009, Brown pleaded guilty in Los Angeles to one count of felony assault on then-girlfriend Rihanna, according to a Variety report of The Associated Press. The plea called for five years of formal probation, six months of community labor, and domestic violence classes, and the court issued a stay-away order. On March 20, 2015, Superior Court Judge James R. Brandlin ended the probation and closed the 2009 case after Brown completed the community labor requirements, The Associated Press reported.

Name notes for searchers

Christopher Maurice Brown is the documented full name; he has recorded and performed as Chris Brown. Searchers looking for either form are usually aiming at the same person.