How popular is the baby name Corliss in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Corliss.

The graph will take a few moments to load. (Don't worry, it shouldn't take 9 months!) If it's taking too long, try reloading the page.


Popularity of the baby name Corliss


Posts that mention the name Corliss

What gave Corliss a boost as a boy name in 1994?

College basketball player Corliss Williamson
Corliss Williamson

The name Corliss, which was primarily given to baby girls during the 20th century, re-emerged in the U.S. baby name data as a boy name in 1994:

  • 1996: 5 baby boys named Corliss
  • 1995: 17 baby boys named Corliss
  • 1994: 22 baby boys named Corliss [peak usage]
  • 1993: unlisted
  • 1992: unlisted

Why?

Because of college basketball player Corliss Williamson, who attended the University of Arkansas from 1992 to 1995.

Corliss, a 6-foot-7 power forward, helped the Arkansas Razorbacks win their very first NCAA championship (against the Duke Blue Devils) in April of 1994. In fact, Corliss was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.

A week later, he was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

He led the Razorbacks to a second championship game the following season, but the team ultimately lost (to the UCLA Bruins).

Corliss forwent his senior year in order to enter the 1995 NBA draft. He was selected in the first round by the Sacramento Kings, and ended up playing for four different teams over the course of his 14-season professional career.

What are your thoughts on Corliss as a boy name?

P.S. Of the five names listed twice in the top returns post, Corliss is the only one that appeared both as a girl name (in 1943) and as a boy name (in 1994). The other four double-entry names are Ammie, Eulalia, Gale, and Victory.

Sources: Corliss Williamson – Wikipedia, SSA

Image: Clipping from the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine (11 Apr. 1994)

What popularized the baby name Corliss in the 1940s?

The character Corliss Archer (played by Shirley Temple) from the film "Kiss and Tell" (1945)
Corliss Archer from “Kiss and Tell“

After re-emerging in the U.S. baby name data in 1943, the name Corliss went on to feature in the girls’ top 1,000 from the mid-1940s to the mid-1950s.

  • 1946: 182 baby girls named Corliss [rank: 591st]
  • 1945: 80 baby girls named Corliss [rank: 843rd]
  • 1944: 70 baby girls named Corliss [rank: 918th]
  • 1943: 44 baby girls named Corliss
  • 1942: unlisted
  • 1941: 6 baby girls named Corliss

(The spelling Corlis also saw higher usage during that period, and Corless was a one-hit wonder in 1947.)

What accounts for the trendiness of Corliss during those years?

A fictional teenage girl named Corliss Archer.

Created by writer F. Hugh Herbert, the “energetic and vivacious” Corliss was introduced in early 1943 as the central character of…

  • A series of six short stories published in the popular women’s magazine Good Housekeeping (starting in January),
  • The radio program Meet Corliss Archer (which also started in January), and
  • The Broadway play Kiss and Tell (which premiered in March).

In 1945, the play was adapted into a film of the same name starring 17-year-old Shirley Temple. The following year (which, admittedly, was the first year of the baby boom) the name Corliss reached peak usage.

Shirley Temple also starred in a second Corliss Archer film, A Kiss for Corliss, which was released in 1949.

The character Corliss Archer from the TV series "Meet Corliss Archer" (1954-55)
Corliss Archer from “Meet Corliss Archer“

During the 1950s, the radio program Meet Corliss Archer was adapted to television twice:

  • In the first adaptation, which was broadcast live on CBS from 1951 to 1952, Corliss was played by Lugene Sanders.
  • In the second, which was produced for first-run syndication during the 1954-55 season, Corliss was played by Ann Baker (above).

The radio program itself remained on the air for more than 13 years, until mid-1956.

I’m not sure why F. Hugh Herbert chose “Corliss” as the name of the character. (Perhaps he was inspired by Corliss Palmer?) But I do know that the character was based on his own teenage daughters, Diana and Pamela. He wrote,

I merely had to put into the lips of Corliss some of their more pungent phrases, into the life of Corliss some of their exuberant high spirits, their natural gaiety, bounce, and charm.

Sources:

Image: Screenshots of Kiss and Tell (1945) and Meet Corliss Archer (1954-55)

What gave the baby name Corliss a boost in the 1920s?

Movie actress Corliss Palmer (1899-1952)
Corliss Palmer

According to the U.S. baby name data, the uncommon name Corliss started seeing more usage in the early 1920s:

  • 1924: 30 baby girls named Corliss
  • 1923: 25 baby girls named Corliss
  • 1922: 21 baby girls named Corliss
  • 1921: 6 baby girls named Corliss
  • 1920: 6 baby girls named Corliss

Why?

Because of Corliss Palmer, a Georgia-born actress who was best known for her association with a married millionaire.

In 1920, Corliss entered the “Fame and Fortune” contest being advertised in a trio of fan magazines: Motion Picture Magazine, Motion Picture Classic, and Shadowland.

All three of these magazines were published by wealthy businessman Eugene V. Brewster, who hoped that hosting the annual contest would help him discover “prospective stars.” (The contest did, in fact, launch the careers of Glenda Farrell, Mary Astor, and Clara Bow.)

Corliss was declared the winner of the contest in early 1921, and, for the next few years, Brewster promoted her heavily in his magazines. She was the subject of numerous articles, and her name and image were used to advertise products like face powder and perfume.

More significantly, Corliss and Brewster became romantically involved. Corliss even moved into Brewster’s home — much to the chagrin of Brewster’s wife.

News of the affair broke when Mrs. Brewster filed a separation suit against her husband in late 1922. She named Corliss in the suit.

Corliss Palmer and Eugene V. Brewster (in 1924)
Corliss Palmer and Eugene V. Brewster

Further developments — such as Brewster buying a quarter-million dollar estate in New Jersey to share with Corliss in January of 1924, and Mrs. Brewster suing Corliss for alienation of affection three months later — kept Corliss Palmer in the headlines for several years.

Finally, in late 1926, Brewster — whose wife had refused to grant him a divorce — went go Mexico and got one anyway. The next day, he married Corliss.

Soon after, it was announced that the lawsuits had been settled out of court, and that Brewster had sold his movie magazines as part of the settlement.

During the latter half of the 1920s, Corliss appeared in a string of grade-B movies, usually as a secondary character.

In 1931, amid the Great Depression, Brewster filed for bankruptcy. Corliss and Brewster separated in 1932, and divorced in 1933.

The newspapers claimed that the actress’s full name was Corliss Modena Palmer, but she’s listed as “Helen” on the 1900 U.S. Census (as a one-year-old) and as “Caroline” on the 1910 U.S. Census.

The English surname Corliss derives from an Old Norse word meaning “careless” (i.e., a nickname for a carefree person). What are your thoughts on Corliss as a first name?

Sources:

Image: Clippings from Motion Picture Classic (Dec. 1920) and the Americus Times-Recorder (3 Dec. 1924)

How did Jess Willard influence baby names in the 1910s?

Heavyweight boxer Jess Willard (1881-1968)
Jess Willard

In late 1908, Jack Johnson became the first African-American world heavyweight boxing champion.

During Johnson’s reign, promoters actively searched for a “great white hope” — a white contender to defeat him.

Several white boxers (including former title holder James Jeffries) challenged Johnson, but were unsuccessful.

The one who finally triumphed? Jess Willard.

In April of 1915, Willard — a six-and-a-half-foot-tall Kansas-born wheat farmer — fought Johnson in Havana, Cuba. Upon knocking Johnson out in the 26th round, Willard became the new heavyweight champion.

Boxing match between Jack Johnson and Jess Willard in Cuba (Apr. 1915)
Jack Johnson vs. Jess Willard

The same year, the baby names Jess and Willard both reached peak usage (and Willard its highest-ever ranking) among U.S. babies:

Boys named JessBoys named Willard
1917352 (rank: 273rd)2,188 (rank: 80th)
1916485 (rank: 220th)2,413 (rank: 69th)
1915577† (rank: 193rd)2,889† (rank: 58th)
1914258 (rank: 271st)1,302 (rank: 92nd)
1913180 (rank: 296th)926 (rank: 99th)
†Peak usage

(The rise of both names during first half of the 1910s was also likely fueled by Jess Willard, who’d been boxing professionally since early 1911.)

“Jess” and “Willard” were particularly popular in a handful of U.S states:

Rank of Jess in 1915Rank of Willard in 1915
West Virginia64th (35 boys)19th (117 boys)
Oklahoma71st (56 boys)33rd (100 boys)
Kentucky89th (37 boys)36th (113 boys)
Virginia200th (13 boys)39th (90 boys)
Kansas120th (20 boys)40th (82 boys)
Tennessee78th (41 boys)41st (89 boys)
Missouri108th (40 boys)42nd (134 boys)

According to records, hundreds of the baby boys named Jess in 1915 were also given the middle name Willard. Some examples…

Many other babies were also given the first-middle combo “Jess Willard” during the ensuing years of Willard’s reign, which ended in July of 1919 (when Willard was knocked out by Jack Dempsey).

What are your thoughts on the boy names Jess and Willard? (Which one do you prefer?)

P.S. The second African-American to win the title of world heavyweight boxing champion was Joe Louis, in 1937.

Sources:

Image: Adapted from Jess Willard 1915 (LOC) and Knockout – Willard-Johnson fight, Havana (LOC)