Boy · #12,182 in 2026

Terik

Name: Popularity of the name Terik in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Terik, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

The Terik people are a Kalenjin group inhabiting parts of the Kakamega and Nandi Districts of western Kenya, numbering about 23,324 people. They live wedged in between the Nandi, Luo and Luhya (Luyia) peoples. Among the Luo they are known as nyangóóri, but to the Terik, this is a derogatory term.

Current Rank

#12,182

Peak Rank

#4,059 (1997)

Total Babies

114

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1978

First Year

2016

Last Year

1997

Peak Year

#4059

Peak Rank

114

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Terik

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

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

Origin & history

According to their own oral history the Terik are "people of Mount Elgon "; this is confirmed by linguistic evidence as well as by Bong'om traditions that "the people who later called themselves Terik were still Bong'om when they left Elgon and moved away in a southern direction" (Roeder 1986:142). In pre-colonial times, relations between the Terik and the Nandi (their eastern neighbours) were characterized by mutual raids for cattle, land and women, a perspective still alive among old Terik people. However, in recent years the Terik have increasingly come to perceive the Nandi as friendly rel

The Story of Terik

American parents first put Terik on the record books as a baby boy name in 1978, with 6 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1997, when 16 Teriks were born — ranking #4,059 that year. About 69% of every Terik on record arrived during the 1990s, its defining decade. Terik last appeared in the published SSA data in 2016, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 114 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1970s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Terik

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

Trick
Tric
Trikk
Truck
Trek
Treck
Truk
Truc
Trec
Terek
Track
Trig

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Terik

What does the name Terik mean?

How popular is Terik in 2026?

In 2026, Terik ranks #12,182 among boys' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.

When was Terik most popular?

Terik reached its peak popularity in 1997, ranking #4,059 that year with 16 babies given the name.

Is Terik a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Terik is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Terik?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Terik include Jejuan, Altariq, Rafal. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Terik

Terik is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1978 and has accumulated 114 births in the dataset. Terik's peak popularity came in 1997 when it ranked #4,059. Use the chart and map above to compare Terik'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.