The crater was named after French astronomer François Félix Tisserand in 1935.

[2] The rim of Tisserand has been eroded by impacts, with depressions in the southern and northeastern sides, and a nearly tangential curving valley cutting into the inner wall along the northwest.

The interior floor is relatively level, with low ridges near the eastern and western inner walls.

The eastern half of the floor has a slightly lower albedo than the western half, with the latter part being lightly coated by ray material from Proclus to the south.

[3] By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Tisserand.