Find out how popular the last name Corliss is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Corliss.

Corliss, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Corliss surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Corliss in America

Corliss is the 10136th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Corliss surname appeared 3,181 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Corliss.

We can also compare 2010 data for Corliss to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Corliss

The surname CORLISS is of English origin, derived from the Old French word 'corlieu', meaning a small courtyard or enclosed place. It is believed to have emerged in the 12th or 13th century, during the Norman conquest of England.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various medieval records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from the late 12th century, where it appears as 'Corleus'. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also mention a William Corleys from Oxfordshire.

In the 14th century, the surname appears in various forms, including Corles, Corlys, and Corlyes, indicating regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. One notable example is John Corlys, a landowner from Berkshire, who is mentioned in the Feet of Fines records from 1379.

The CORLISS surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Corliss Hall in Lincolnshire and Corliss Farm in Dorset. These place names likely originated from individuals bearing the surname who owned or resided in those locations.

Notable individuals with the CORLISS surname throughout history include:

1. George Henry Corliss (1817-1888), an American inventor best known for developing the Corliss steam engine, which greatly improved efficiency and revolutionized industrial power generation.

2. William Wilson Corliss (1835-1924), an American clergyman and author, who served as a Chaplain in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

3. John Corliss (1808-1888), an American politician and businessman, who served as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly and was involved in the early development of the city of Milwaukee.

4. Edward Corliss (1862-1934), an American actor and playwright, known for his work on the vaudeville circuit and his collaborations with renowned playwright David Belasco.

5. Mary Corliss (1896-1985), an American artist and illustrator, renowned for her work in children's literature and her collaborations with notable authors like Lois Lenski and Robert Lawson.

The CORLISS surname has been present in various regions of England, particularly in counties like Lincolnshire, Oxfordshire, and Berkshire, where it has a long and well-documented history dating back to the Middle Ages.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Corliss

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Corliss.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Corliss was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Corliss has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Corliss was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Corliss, please contact us.

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