Terry
Terry is a boy's name of Germanic origin.
Meaning
Ruler of the people.
Origin and history
Terry derived as a Medieval English vernacular form of Thierry, which comes from the Germanic name Theodoric. It was also widely used in the 20th century as a diminutive for Terence or Teresa. In the United States, it peaked in popularity during the mid-20th century for both boys and girls.
Popularity in the United States
424,523 babies in the United States have been named Terry since 1880. It ranks #78 all-time. Among babies born since 2020 it ranks #956.
States where it is most popular
- OH (6.6 %)
- TX (6.1 %)
- IL (5.7 %)
- CA (5.6 %)
- MI (5 %)
Trends by decade
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880-1890 | 98 |
| 1890-1900 | 118 |
| 1900-1910 | 186 |
| 1910-1920 | 711 |
| 1920-1930 | 1,646 |
| 1930-1940 | 11,025 |
| 1940-1950 | 76,965 |
| 1950-1960 | 140,724 |
| 1960-1970 | 101,489 |
| 1970-1980 | 42,426 |
| 1980-1990 | 24,157 |
| 1990-2000 | 13,040 |
| 2000-2010 | 6,638 |
| 2010-2019 | 4,047 |
| 2020-2029 | 1,253 |
Famous people named Terry
- Terry Bradshaw: football player, sports broadcaster
- Terry Crews: actor, television host
- Terry Gilliam: director, screenwriter
Fun facts
- Terry originated as an English phonetic spelling of the Norman French name Thierry.
- The name ranked among the top 50 names for U.S. boys for several decades during the mid-20th century.