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Corliss
How to Pronounce Corliss
Pronounced KOR-lis /ˈkɔr.lɪs/Medium
Meaning: Corliss is an English surname taken as a given name, from the Old English carleas 'carefree, free of care, cheerful'. It began as a nickname for an easygoing person and later became a family name.Medium
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Corliss is an English surname adopted as a given name, from the Old English carleas, 'carefree' or 'free of care', originally a nickname for an easygoing person. As a first name it appears in United States birth records across the twentieth century - it was also used for girls, as in the fictional Corliss Archer - reached its modest high around 1994, and was never common, given to only a couple dozen boys a year.
Because its high point came late, a boy named Corliss may be middle-aged or younger. The philosopher and activist Corliss Lamont carried the name earlier in the century. It reads as a crisp, distinctive surname-style choice that has never entered wide use.
Variations
Nicknames
Famous Bearers
- ★Corliss Lamont (1902-1995)American philosopher, socialist, and civil-liberties advocate who chaired the National Emergency Civil Liberties Committee.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Corliss mean?
It is an English surname from the Old English carleas, meaning 'carefree' or 'cheerful'.
How do you pronounce Corliss?
It's said KOR-lis /ˈkɔr.lɪs/, two syllables, stress on the first.
Is Corliss a boy or girl name?
Corliss here is used as a boy's name, though it has also been used for girls.
How popular is Corliss?
It has always been rare, a surname-name given to only a couple dozen boys a year, with a small high in the nineteen-nineties.