Terrence
Terence is a masculine given name, derived from the Latin name Terentius. The diminutive form is Terry. Spelling variants include Terrence, Terrance, Terance and Torrance.
Meaning & Origin of Terrence
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Terence is a masculine given name, derived from the Latin name Terentius. The diminutive form is Terry. Spelling variants include Terrence, Terrance, Terance and Torrance.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Terrence
Terrence first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1886, with 10 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1955, when 1,497 Terrences were born — ranking #181 that year. As of 2026, Terrence ranks #1,599 for baby boys with 108 births, falling sharply (-37%). In total, more than 73K Terrences have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Terrence
Phonetically similar names — useful when Terrence 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 Terrence
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About the name Terrence
Terrence is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1886 and has accumulated 73K births in the dataset. Terrence's peak popularity came in 1955 when it ranked #176. Use the chart and map above to compare Terrence's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1955 →
- Names of the 1950s →
- Names starting with "T" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.