Girls' name · since 1955
Terah
1,373 babies named Terah in U.S. Social Security records since 1955, with the highest year being 1985. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #6,052 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 1,373
- born since 1955
- 1980s
- peak decade
1,373 girls have been named Terah since 1955, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Social Security Administration records show Terah recorded 1,373 times among girls since 1955, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used girls names, peaking in the 1980s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1955 to 2018.
- #6,052 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 1,373 born since 1955
- 1980s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Terah ranks #6,052 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 1,373 born since 1955, peaking in the 1980s.
- #6,052 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 1,373
- born since 1955
- 1980s
- peak decade
Terah's 1,373 recorded births place it above 91.63% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
8 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
Terah's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Terah's full recorded timeline at 1990, 38% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 62% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1960, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1985 peak of 65 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Terah popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1955–2018
- Peak year (1985)
- 65
- Annual births at peak, across 64 years of records
Terah popularity over time - boys
43 total births recorded since 1968 (Terah as boys' name)
Terah by decade
1980s is the heaviest window (486 births, 35% of the file).
1980s was Terah's strongest decade.
486 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 35% of all-time use.
Terah births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 13
1950s
13 births
- 1960s 41
1960s
41 births
- 1970s
1970s
311 births
- 1980s
1980s
486 births
- 1990s
1990s
277 births
- 2000s 167
2000s
167 births
- 2010s 78
2010s
78 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 486 births (35% of all-time use).
How Terah compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Terah's total volume
Terah by state
Where Terah concentrates geographically, total births since 1955
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 73 | 5.3% |
| #2 | Texas | | 56 | 4.1% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 19 | 1.4% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 16 | 1.2% |
| #5 | Indiana | | 7 | 0.5% |
| #6 | Oklahoma | | 6 | 0.4% |
| #7 | Florida | | 5 | 0.4% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 5 | 0.4% |
73 of 1,373 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 8 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Terah? ▼
Where does Terah sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Terah most popular? ▼
Where is Terah most popular? ▼
How long has the name Terah been used? ▼
What names are similar to Terah? ▼
What to do with Terah's data
- Terah's decade-level peak was the 1980s (486 total births); usage has since declined to 78 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Terahs (73 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Terah
Nearby Names Like Terah
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Terah
Compare Terah side by side: Terah vs Teresa Terah vs Terri Terah vs Terry
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Terah: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1985)
Similar record span (~63 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1955–2018 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Terah draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.