Unisex nameCurrently #1,186 in the USFalling
Terry
TAIR-ee//ˈtɛri//
2 syllablesPeak year: 19555 lettersStarts with T
Meaning & origin
Ruler of the people (short form of Terrence)
Terry began as a short form of Terrence, a Roman family name of uncertain deeper meaning, and became a common stand-alone name in the mid-20th century. Its brief, casual sound has a solid vintage familiarity.
Terry's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Terry |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 10 |
| 1882 | 7 |
| 1883 | 10 |
| 1884 | 10 |
| 1885 | 9 |
| 1886 | 12 |
| 1887 | 16 |
| 1888 | 15 |
| 1889 | 9 |
| 1890 | 12 |
| 1891 | 5 |
| 1892 | 19 |
| 1893 | 8 |
| 1894 | 12 |
| 1895 | 13 |
| 1896 | 20 |
| 1897 | 15 |
| 1898 | 14 |
| 1899 | 7 |
| 1900 | 21 |
| 1901 | 13 |
| 1902 | 18 |
| 1903 | 24 |
| 1904 | 18 |
| 1905 | 24 |
| 1906 | 23 |
| 1907 | 31 |
| 1908 | 29 |
| 1909 | 38 |
| 1910 | 46 |
| 1911 | 45 |
| 1912 | 66 |
| 1913 | 93 |
| 1914 | 95 |
| 1915 | 137 |
| 1916 | 116 |
| 1917 | 138 |
| 1918 | 154 |
| 1919 | 149 |
| 1920 | 196 |
| 1921 | 219 |
| 1922 | 228 |
| 1923 | 228 |
| 1924 | 256 |
| 1925 | 338 |
| 1926 | 310 |
| 1927 | 342 |
| 1928 | 360 |
| 1929 | 342 |
| 1930 | 448 |
| 1931 | 409 |
| 1932 | 579 |
| 1933 | 717 |
| 1934 | 866 |
| 1935 | 1,157 |
| 1936 | 1,491 |
| 1937 | 1,916 |
| 1938 | 2,609 |
| 1939 | 2,758 |
| 1940 | 3,352 |
| 1941 | 4,050 |
| 1942 | 5,628 |
| 1943 | 6,660 |
| 1944 | 6,890 |
| 1945 | 7,783 |
| 1946 | 12,595 |
| 1947 | 15,042 |
| 1948 | 14,416 |
| 1949 | 14,248 |
| 1950 | 13,959 |
| 1951 | 15,258 |
| 1952 | 15,471 |
| 1953 | 16,633 |
| 1954 | 20,341 |
| 1955 | 20,939 |
| 1956 | 20,338 |
| 1957 | 20,884 |
| 1958 | 20,335 |
| 1959 | 19,760 |
| 1960 | 18,770 |
| 1961 | 17,552 |
| 1962 | 16,342 |
| 1963 | 15,980 |
| 1964 | 13,776 |
| 1965 | 11,112 |
| 1966 | 10,164 |
| 1967 | 9,278 |
| 1968 | 8,488 |
| 1969 | 7,658 |
| 1970 | 7,301 |
| 1971 | 6,845 |
| 1972 | 5,519 |
| 1973 | 5,013 |
| 1974 | 4,545 |
| 1975 | 4,462 |
| 1976 | 4,055 |
| 1977 | 3,758 |
| 1978 | 3,364 |
| 1979 | 3,344 |
| 1980 | 3,273 |
| 1981 | 3,041 |
| 1982 | 2,996 |
| 1983 | 2,686 |
| 1984 | 2,516 |
| 1985 | 2,554 |
| 1986 | 2,398 |
| 1987 | 2,279 |
| 1988 | 2,220 |
| 1989 | 2,145 |
| 1990 | 2,009 |
| 1991 | 1,831 |
| 1992 | 1,696 |
| 1993 | 1,520 |
| 1994 | 1,294 |
| 1995 | 1,231 |
| 1996 | 1,147 |
| 1997 | 1,106 |
| 1998 | 1,012 |
| 1999 | 949 |
| 2000 | 877 |
| 2001 | 839 |
| 2002 | 717 |
| 2003 | 689 |
| 2004 | 706 |
| 2005 | 718 |
| 2006 | 638 |
| 2007 | 634 |
| 2008 | 595 |
| 2009 | 505 |
| 2010 | 542 |
| 2011 | 496 |
| 2012 | 499 |
| 2013 | 443 |
| 2014 | 432 |
| 2015 | 396 |
| 2016 | 399 |
| 2017 | 367 |
| 2018 | 324 |
| 2019 | 282 |
| 2020 | 246 |
| 2021 | 214 |
| 2022 | 238 |
| 2023 | 213 |
| 2024 | 184 |
Terry through the decades
- Terry peaked in 1955, when 20,939 babies were named Terry in the US.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Terry has fallen 48% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Terry currently ranks #1,186 in the US and is cooling off.
Nicknames
Terry
Variants & spellings
Terrence