Jerlisa is a unique and distinctive given name of African American origin. It is believed to have been created by the author Toni Morrison for one of her characters in the novel "Song of Solomon," published in 1977. The name Jerlisa has not been widely adopted, making it quite rare, but it has gained some popularity among those who appreciate its uniqueness and cultural significance.
The meaning behind the name Jerlisa is not immediately clear, as it was created for a specific character rather than being drawn from existing naming traditions. However, some people interpret Jerlisa to mean "God is my song," which is derived from the idea that music can be a form of praise or worship towards a higher power. This interpretation may have been influenced by the fact that Morrison's novel explores themes of family, history, and spiritual quest.
Throughout history, there has only been one notable figure with the name Jerlisa: the character created by Toni Morrison in "Song of Solomon." In the novel, Jerlisa is a strong-willed woman who plays an important role in the story. Despite its limited presence in literature and popular culture, the name Jerlisa has left an impact on those who have encountered it through Morrison's work.
In conclusion, Jerlisa is a unique and culturally significant given name of African American origin. Created by Toni Morrison for her novel "Song of Solomon," the name carries with it themes of strength, family, history, and spiritual quest. Although not widely used, Jerlisa remains an interesting choice for those seeking a distinctive and meaningful name.
The statistics for the name Jerlisa show a varied trend of popularity over an eight-year period from 1988 to 1995, with some peaks and troughs along the way.
In 1988, Jerlisa made her debut in the U.S. baby naming scene with a total of 16 newborns bearing this name that year. The popularity seemed to increase slightly the following year, with 21 babies named Jerlisa in 1989.
However, the numbers started to decrease from 1990 onwards, with 18 births in 1990 and a further drop to 14 births in 1991. The trend continued into 1992 with only 12 babies named Jerlisa that year.
There was another dip in popularity in 1993, with just 9 newborns bearing the name Jerlisa. But it seems like this might have been a temporary setback, as there was a slight increase to 15 births in 1994.
However, from 1995 onwards, the popularity of the name Jerlisa seemed to decline significantly with only 6 babies named Jerlisa that year. It appears that the popularity of this name continued to decrease as shown by the birth statistics for 1997, where there were only 5 newborns named Jerlisa.
Overall, over these eight years, a total of 116 babies were named Jerlisa in the United States, showing that while it was not one of the most popular names during this period, it still had some presence on the baby naming scene.