Girl · #6,234 in 2026

Terri

Terri is an alternative spelling of Terry. It is a feminine given name and is also a diminutive for Teresa.

  • English
Current Rank
#6,234
Peak Rank
#46 (1959)
Total Babies
146K
5-Yr Trend
-37%
1922
First Year
2026
Last Year
1959
Peak Year
#46
Peak Rank
146K
Total Count
102
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Terri

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

Terri is an alternative spelling of Terry. It is a feminine given name and is also a diminutive for Teresa.

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

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • English

The Story of Terri

The earliest SSA record of Terri as a baby girl name dates back to 1922, when 5 babies received it. 1959 was its biggest year on record, with 8,783 newborns named Terri — #46 in the national rankings. The 1960s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 44% of all recorded Terris. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #6,234 among baby girl names with 19 births, falling sharply (-37%). In total, more than 146K Terris have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1920s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Variants & Related Forms of Terri

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Terri. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Names that sound like Terri

Phonetically similar names — useful when Terri 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 Terri

What does the name Terri mean?
Terri is an alternative spelling of Terry. It is a feminine given name and is also a diminutive for Teresa.
What is the origin of the name Terri?
Terri has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English.
How popular is Terri in 2026?
In 2026, Terri ranks #6,234 among girls' names in the U.S., with 19 babies given the name that year.
When was Terri most popular?
Terri reached its peak popularity in 1959, ranking #46 that year with 8,783 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Terri most popular?
Terri has historically been most popular in Oklahoma, Idaho, Wyoming. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Terri.
Is Terri a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Terri is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Terri?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Terri include Maggie, Dora, Sadie. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Terri?
Common variants and related forms of Terri include Teresa, Teri, Terrie, Terry, Terry, Tess. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

About the name Terri

Terri is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1922 and has accumulated 146K births in the dataset. Terri's peak popularity came in 1959 when it ranked #46. Use the chart and map above to compare Terri'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.