Cherisse
Feminine
Cherisse is a surname wearing a French ending, and the woman who made the surname famous had a first name that came from a small brother who could not manage the word sister. Cyd Charisse was born Tula Ellice Finklea, was called Sid by a brother attempting Sis, and kept the sound for the rest of her career.
How old is the name Cherisse?
Cherisse first appears in US birth records in 1950 — 75 years ago. The typical Cherisse alive today was born around 1979, making them about 46 years old. About 1,000 people named Cherisse are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Cherisse most popular?
Cherisse peaked in 1974, reaching #1848 nationally. See the whole 1974 chart.
Where it comes from
From a French word meaning dear gives cherish and Cherie to Cherisse
The story of Cherisse
Cyd Charisse was a Texan who had been sent to ballet classes as a child to build her up after polio, danced with the Ballets Russes as a teenager, and ended up in Hollywood at the point when the studios wanted dancers who could act rather than actors who could dance. She partnered both of the great male dancers of the era and was the only woman who did; one of them said afterwards that when you danced with her you knew you had been dancing. Her legs were insured for a sum the studio publicized relentlessly, which she found tiresome and never stopped being asked about.
Meaningnot established
Not established
Two routes are available. One is the French verb behind cherish, from a word meaning dear, which supplies Cherie and a good many American names built on it. The other is the surname of a dancer who was famous throughout the years this name appears — itself acquired by marriage and spelled without the extra letters. The record does not distinguish between a family reaching for a French word and a family reaching for a film star, and both were plausible in the 1950s.
How the name formed
- a French word meaning dear gives cherish and Cherie
- a separate surname enters American use
- a dancer makes the surname familiar in the 1950s
- Cherisse appears in the record in the same decade
- peaks in the 1970s and fades
Related forms: Cherie · Charisse · Cherise
Pronouncing Cherisse
shuh-REESE
Two syllables with the stress at the back. The doubled s keeps the ending unvoiced — a single s there would invite a z sound, which is what separates this spelling from Cherise.
Nicknames for Cherisse
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1950
- Most girls named
- 197447 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #1848reached in 1974
- Change vs 2007
- −25.0%6 in 2009, from 8
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Cherisse in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Cherie in French — related form
- Charisse in English — spelling variant
- Cherise in English — spelling variant
Cherisses among us
people named Cherisse are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Cherisse sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- The doubled letter settles the ending, which the shorter spelling leaves open.
- Cher and Rissa are both available and could not be more different.
- The sound is soft throughout and read correctly at first sight.
- Charisse and Cherise are both in the record and will be substituted.
- There is no settled origin, and the two candidates point in different directions.
- It is closely dated to the middle decades of the last century.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Cherisse to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Cherisse? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Cherisse
Feminine
Frequently asked
- How many Cherisses are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 1,000 people named Cherisse are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Cherisse in 2025?
- Cherisse is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 girl names.
- Will my child share the name Cherisse with classmates?
- Cherisse will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More C names
The most-given names starting with C, all years combined.
Carol#2239 · Cynthia#1013 · Catherine#313 · Christine#1272 · Carolyn#1222 · Christina#770 · Charlotte#2 · Cheryl#4352
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Cherisse? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Cherisse and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
No advertising trackers and no data sellinghow we handle your dataindependent and founder-run, about Name Battle