Total births
1,373
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.
- 1,373
- total births
- 1955–2018
- years on record
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 35%
- born in that 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.
- 1,373 total births
- 1955–2018 years on record
- 1980s peak decade
- 35% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
1,373 girls have been named Terah since 1955, peaking in the 1980s, last recorded in 2018.
- 1,373
- total births
- 1955–2018
- years on record
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 35%
- born in that decade
1980s
Peak decade
35% of everyone ever named Terah was born in this single decade.
1985
Single peak year
65 babies were named Terah in 1985 - its busiest year on record.
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 at a glance
Last recorded 2018Peak year
1985
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1955
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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 vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
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% |
California share of Terah's total US births 5.3%
Even split
73 of 1,373 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 8 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Terah? ▼
Terah has been given to 1,373 babies in the U.S. since 1955, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 2018. 65 babies were born in 1985, its single highest year.
When was Terah most popular? ▼
Terah was most popular in the 1980s decade with 486 total births. The single peak year was 1985.
Where is Terah most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Terah are California (73 births), Texas (56 births), Ohio (19 births).
How long has the name Terah been used? ▼
Records for Terah go back to 1955, giving 64 years of history through 2018.
What names are similar to Terah? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Teresa, Terri, Terry, Teri, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
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
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare 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
Teresa Girl
#860 416,044 births
Terri Girl
#5039 146,113 births
Terry Girl
#9578 96,955 births
Teri Girl
#10364 43,957 births
Terrie Girl
19,729 births
Compare Terah side by side: Terah vs Teresa Terah vs Terri Terah vs Terry
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Henriette #13496
1,373 births · Peak 1915
Trixie #8979
1,373 births · Peak 1971
Teryn #12374
1,373 births · Peak 1985
Magdaline #13540
1,374 births · Peak 1921
Ermelinda
1,374 births · Peak 1964
Marielena #8038
1,374 births · Peak 1992
Zabrina
1,374 births · Peak 1977
Beckett #1817
1,374 births · Peak 2022
Data Sources
Data as of July 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).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Terah: Baby Name Since 1955 - 1,373 Births, Peak 1985." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/terah. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 July 2026.