NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Cariss

A variation of the Latin name Carissa, meaning "dearly beloved".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 1999. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Cariss is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Cariss popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 1999 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3900, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 6 births.

This profile covers 13 England and Wales registrations across 3 recorded years from 1996 to 1999. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 50% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 13 living people in the UK are called Cariss. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2000 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Cariss ranked #3900 for girls in England and Wales in 1999, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 1996, when 6 girls were registered as Cariss.
  • About 13 living people in the UK are estimated to have Cariss as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#3900

1999

Births in 1999

3

Latest year

Peak year

1996

6 births

Estimated living

13

2026

Meaning

What does Cariss mean?

The given name Cariss is believed to have its origins in the ancient Celtic language spoken by the Britons who inhabited the British Isles before the Roman conquest. It is derived from the Proto-Celtic word "karo-s", which meant "beloved" or "dear one". This root word eventually evolved into various forms in different Celtic languages, such as the Welsh "cariad" and the Cornish "cara".

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cariss can be found in the Annales Cambriae, a chronicle compiled in medieval Wales around the late 10th century. It mentions a Briton chieftain named Cariss ap Rhiwallon, who ruled over a small kingdom in what is now southern Wales in the 6th century AD.

In the 12th century, a French noblewoman named Cariss de Montfort is mentioned in several historical records as a prominent figure during the Angevin period. She was known for her involvement in the political affairs of the time and her influence over the court of King Henry II of England.

During the Renaissance, an Italian artist named Cariss Veronese (1528-1588) gained recognition for her exceptional skills in painting and fresco work. She was commissioned by several wealthy patrons in Venice and other Italian cities to decorate their palaces and churches with her vibrant and intricate artworks.

In the 17th century, a Dutch explorer and navigator named Cariss Janszoon van Heemskerck (1567-1607) led several expeditions to the Arctic regions and is credited with being one of the first Europeans to sight the islands of Spitsbergen and Bear Island in the Svalbard archipelago.

Another notable figure with the name Cariss was the Scottish poet and playwright Cariss Fergusson (1672-1737), who wrote in the Scots language and was a prominent figure in the Scottish literary revival of the early 18th century. Her works often celebrated the beauty of the Scottish countryside and the richness of its cultural traditions.

These are just a few examples of historical figures who bore the name Cariss, demonstrating its long-standing presence across various cultures and time periods, with roots tracing back to the ancient Celtic languages of the British Isles.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Cariss over time

The chart below shows babies named Cariss registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 1999. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Cariss, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 1999, compared with 6 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Cariss
02356199619971999

Decades

Cariss by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Cariss was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
1990s #3131 13 3

Related

Names similar to Cariss

FAQ

Cariss: questions and answers

How popular is the name Cariss in the UK right now?

In 1999, Cariss was ranked #3900 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Cariss most popular?

The peak year on record was 1996, with 6 babies registered as Cariss in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Cariss?

A variation of the Latin name Carissa, meaning "dearly beloved".

How many people are called Cariss in the UK?

A total of 13 babies have been registered as Cariss across the 3 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.