Unisex · #10,768 in 2026

Carlis

DaNa L. Carlis is an American meteorologist and director of the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) in Norman, Oklahoma. He is the first African American to serve as the head of a NOAA research laboratory.

Current Rank
#10,768
Peak Rank
#1,327 (1946)
Total Babies
1K
5-Yr Trend
Stable
👧 Girl peak #2,973 (178 total)
👦 Boy peak #1,327 (1K total)
👦As Boy Name
1912
First Year
2012
Last Year
1946
Peak Year
#1327
Peak Rank
1K
Total Count
87
Years Active
👧As Girl Name
1930
First Year
1983
Last Year
1958
Peak Year
#2973
Peak Rank
178
Total Count
24
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Carlis

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

DaNa L. Carlis is an American meteorologist and director of the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) in Norman, Oklahoma. He is the first African American to serve as the head of a NOAA research laboratory.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Carlis

As a girl name

Carlis first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1930, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1958, when 16 Carliss were born — ranking #2,973 that year. As of 2026, Carlis ranks #10,274 for girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 178 Carliss have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1930s through the 2020s.

As a boy name

Carlis first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1912, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1946, when 28 Carliss were born — ranking #1,327 that year. As of 2026, Carlis ranks #10,768 for boys with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 1K Carliss have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Girls Boys

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Carlis

Phonetically similar names — useful when Carlis is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Carlis

What does the name Carlis mean?
DaNa L. Carlis is an American meteorologist and director of the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) in Norman, Oklahoma. He is the first African American to serve as the head of a NOAA research laboratory.
How popular is Carlis in 2026?
In 2026, Carlis ranks #10,768 among boys' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.
When was Carlis most popular?
Carlis reached its peak popularity in 1946, ranking #1,327 that year with 28 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Carlis most popular?
Carlis has historically been most popular in Kentucky, Alabama, North Carolina. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Carlis.
Is Carlis a unisex name?
Yes — Carlis is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 13% of Carliss assigned female and 87% assigned male historically.
What names go well with Carlis?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Carlis include Durand, Dietrich, Taras. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Carlis

Carlis is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1912 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Carlis's peak popularity came in 1946 when it ranked #1,327. Use the chart and map above to compare Carlis's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.