Corliss
Girl's name likely derived from "coeur de lys" (heart of lily).
Name Census estimates that about 1,885 living Americans carry the first name Corliss. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 89.3% of registrations being female. The average person named Corliss today is around 67 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Corliss births was 1946 (187 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Corliss. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Corliss is about 67 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Corliss' were born before 1969.
People living today
1.9K
~ 1 in 181,833 Americans
Peak year
1946
187 babies that year
Average age
67
years old
1996 SSA rank
#9,265
Tracked since 1913
Gender
Gender distribution for Corliss
Corliss leans heavily female at 89.3% of total registrations, but 343 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Corliss as a male name
- Ranked #9,265 in 1996
- 5 male births in 1996
- Peak: 1994 (22 births)
Corliss as a female name
- Ranked #16,314 in 2003
- 5 female births in 2003
- Peak: 1946 (182 births)
Popularity
Corliss: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Corliss from the 1910s through to the 2000s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 1,133 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Corliss by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Corliss during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Corliss' live
The SSA's state-level files cover 25 states and territories. Illinois, California, Louisiana recorded the most babies named Corliss, while Wisconsin, North Dakota, Mississippi recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 45 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Corliss
The given name Corliss has its roots in the Old French language, originating from the term "corlieu," which referred to a small village or hamlet. This name gained prominence during the Middle Ages, particularly in regions of present-day France and England.
Corliss is believed to have derived from the Old French word "cor," meaning "heart," combined with the suffix "-liss," which denotes a connection or relation. Thus, the name could be interpreted as "heart's connection" or "heart's bond," suggesting a sense of unity or attachment.
In ancient times, the name Corliss was sometimes associated with the notion of a strong, unwavering spirit or a steadfast character. It was not uncommon for parents to bestow this name upon their children as a symbol of resilience and determination.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Corliss dates back to the 12th century, when it appeared in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings and properties compiled in England by order of William the Conqueror in 1086.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Corliss. One such figure was Corliss Lamont (1902-1995), an American philosopher and advocate for civil liberties, who played a significant role in the humanist movement of the 20th century.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Corliss Archer (1828-1901), an American engineer and inventor renowned for his contributions to the development of the Corliss steam engine, which revolutionized industrial power generation during the Industrial Revolution.
In the realm of literature, Corliss Allardyce (1923-2011) was an esteemed American scholar and author, best known for her groundbreaking work on the history of the novel and her seminal book, "The Modern British Novel."
The name Corliss also graced the stage, with Corliss Archer (1886-1952), an American actress and vaudeville performer who made her mark in early 20th-century theater and films.
Lastly, Corliss Williamson (born 1973) is a former professional basketball player from the United States, who enjoyed a successful career in the NBA, playing for teams like the Sacramento Kings and Detroit Pistons.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Corliss
People
Corliss + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Corliss as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Corliss: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Corliss?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,885 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Corliss going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 181,833 US residents.
Is Corliss a common name?
We classify Corliss as "Rare". It ranks above 93.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 3,192 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Corliss most popular?
The single biggest year for Corliss was 1946, when 187 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Corliss is about 67 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Corliss a female name?
Yes, 89.3% of people registered as Corliss in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.