Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 1971

Cissy

Meaning A diminutive of the female given name Cicely Gender Girl Rank 2025 Below top lists

A diminutive of the female given name Cicely.

Rank 2025
–
among girls
Babies in 2025
<5
named Cissy
How common
–
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1971
26 babies
All-time total
430
#12,946 all-time among girls
First recorded
1946
in Social Security records

Cissy popularity over time

430 babies have been named Cissy since 1946, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.010.010.020.0218801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1971Girls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – –
1890s – – – –
1900s – – – –
1910s – – – –
1920s – – – –
1930s – – – –
1940s 12 1 – #4,264
1950s 89 9 +642% #3,066
1960s 116 12 +30% #3,184
1970s 144 14 +24% #2,746
1980s 58 6 -60% #4,359
1990s 11 1 -81% #12,407
2000s – – – –
2010s – – – –
2020s (to 2025) – – – –

The story of Cissy

Cissy is not currently in use for newborns in the United States: fewer than five babies received the name in 2025. Its story lives in the historical record below.

Since 1946, 430 American babies have been named Cissy. Its peak came in 1971, when 26 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1970s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Cissy stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Cissy?

The median living Cissy is about 55 years old; half are between 48 and 64. An estimated 400 people named Cissy are alive in the United States today.

median 55 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Cissy year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank
2025 – –
2024 – –
2023 – –
2022 – –
2021 – –
2020 – –
2019 – –
2018 – –
2017 – –
2016 – –
2015 – –
2014 – –
2013 – –
2012 – –
2011 – –
2010 – –
2009 – –
2008 – –
2007 – –
2006 – –
2005 – –
2004 – –
2003 – –
2002 – –
2001 – –
2000 – –
1995 – –
1990 – –
1985 – –
1980 17 #4,359
1975 11 #5,213
1970 14 #4,072
1965 11 #3,989
1960 15 #3,236
1955 12 #3,414
1950 – –
1945 – –
1940 – –
1935 – –
1930 – –
1925 – –
1920 – –
1915 – –
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Cissy

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Cissy Houston Cissy Houston American singer and mother of Whitney Houston (1933–2024) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Cissy, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Cissy?

The median living Cissy is about 55 years old. Half of all living Cissys are between 48 and 64 years old.

How many people named Cissy are alive today?

An estimated 400 people named Cissy are alive in the United States, based on 430 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Cissy mean?

A diminutive of the female given name Cicely.

How popular is the name Cissy in 2025?

Cissy did not appear in the 2025 Social Security data, which means fewer than five babies received the name that year.

How many people are named Cissy?

430 babies have been named Cissy in the United States since 1946, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Cissy most popular?

Cissy peaked in 1971, when 26 newborns received the name.

Is Cissy a boy or girl name?

Cissy is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Cissy rising or falling?

Cissy has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Who are famous people named Cissy?

Well-known people named Cissy include Cissy Houston (singer).

Names like Cissy

Names that sound and feel close to Cissy: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Cissy with similar names → More names starting with C →