Terry
Terry is a unisex diminutive nickname for the given names Teresa or Theresa (feminine) or Terence, Terrance (masculine).
- English
Meaning & Origin of Terry
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Terry is a unisex diminutive nickname for the given names Teresa or Theresa (feminine) or Terence, Terrance (masculine).
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Terry
As a girl name
Terry first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1892, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1955, when 5,353 Terrys were born — ranking #83 that year. As of 2026, Terry ranks #9,521 for girls with 10 births, falling sharply (-17%). In total, more than 97K Terrys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1890s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Terry first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1880, with 10 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1957, when 15,618 Terrys were born — ranking #33 that year. As of 2026, Terry ranks #1,202 for boys with 171 births, falling sharply (-31%). In total, more than 425K Terrys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Terry
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Terry. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Where is Terry most common?
Predicted country distribution based on naming patterns globally.
- United States56%
- China18%
- United Kingdom10%
- New Zealand8%
- Australia8%
Source: Nationalize.io . Probabilities are global naming-pattern estimates, not strict counts.
Names that sound like Terry
Phonetically similar names — useful when Terry 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 Terry
What does the name Terry mean?
What is the origin of the name Terry?
How popular is Terry in 2026?
When was Terry most popular?
In which U.S. states is Terry most popular?
Is Terry a unisex name?
What names go well with Terry?
What are nicknames or variants of Terry?
About the name Terry
Terry is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 425K births in the dataset. Terry's peak popularity came in 1957 when it ranked #26. Use the chart and map above to compare Terry's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1957 →
- Names of the 1950s →
- Names starting with "T" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.