NameChart

Terry

Boy name

Terry has been given to 521,478 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It peaked in 1955.

Meaning & origin /ˈtɛɹi/

Origin: Germanic languages

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025

03.906k7.812k11.718k15.624k 18801900192019401960198020002020 Girls Boys
Hover or tap the chart to read any year.

Total babies

521,478

Peak year

1955 (20,939 babies)

Rank in 2025

Below top 1000

First recorded

1880

10-year trend

▼ -49%

Gender split

19% girls / 81% boys

Rank through the decades

Terry's rank among U.S. boy names at 25-year milestones.

YearGirls rankBoys rank
1900#532
1925#597#436
1950#127#30
1975#412#67
2000#331

— means outside the top 1000 that year.

Spellings & variants

Names one letter away from Terry — alternate spellings parents actually use.

Names with a similar vibe

Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Terry.

FAQ

How popular is the name Terry?

Terry has been given to 521,478 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It ranked below the top 1000 in 2025.

When did the name Terry peak?

Terry peaked in 1955, when 20,939 babies were given the name.

Is Terry a girl or boy name?

Terry is primarily a boy name (81% of babies named Terry are boys).

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