Total births
34,290
Boys' name · since 1885
Terence
Since 1885, U.S. Social Security records show 34,290 babies named Terence, peaking in 1964. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #2922
- among boys today
- 34,290
- born since 1885
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 80%
- more common than other boys
Terence currently ranks #2922 among boys' names in America, with 34,290 babies recorded since 1885.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Terence has been recorded 34,290 times among boys since 1885, currently ranked #2922 nationally and more common than 80% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1960s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1885 to 2025.
- #2922 among boys today
- 34,290 born since 1885
- 1960s peak decade
- 80% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Terence is currently the #2922 boys' name in America, more common than 80% of boys - 34,290 born since 1885, peaking in the 1960s.
- #2922
- among boys today
- 34,290
- born since 1885
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 80%
- more common than other boys
Terence vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2922
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 80% of names given to boys today.
1960s
Peak decade
23% of everyone ever named Terence was born in this single decade.
1964
Single peak year
1,014 babies were named Terence in 1964 - its busiest year on record.
How Terence compares
34,290 Top 4% higher than 96% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Terence's all-time total is 93x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Terence | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 34,290 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,014 | 23 | 22,252 |
Terence's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Terence splits its recorded history at 1966: 55% of all births land in the more recent half, 45% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1887 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1964 peak of 1,014 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Terence at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1964
Current rank
#2,922
Active since
1885
Terence popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1885–2025
- Peak year (1964)
- 1,014
- Annual births at peak, across 141 years of records
Terence popularity over time - girls
170 total births recorded since 1947 (Terence as girls' name)
Terence by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Terence's strongest decade.
7,803 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Terence births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 23
1880s
23 births
- 1900s 14
1900s
14 births
- 1910s 169
1910s
169 births
- 1920s 413
1920s
413 births
- 1930s 866
1930s
866 births
- 1940s 2,806
1940s
2,806 births
- 1950s
1950s
6,340 births
- 1960s
1960s
7,803 births
- 1970s
1970s
4,762 births
- 1980s
1980s
5,062 births
- 1990s
1990s
3,180 births
- 2000s 1,491
2000s
1,491 births
- 2010s 1,058
2010s
1,058 births
- 2020s 303
2020s
303 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 7,803 births (23% of all-time use).
How Terence compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Terence's total volume
Terence vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Terence by state
Where Terence concentrates geographically, total births since 1885
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 4,921 | 14.4% |
| #2 | California | | 2,603 | 7.6% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 1,897 | 5.5% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 1,866 | 5.4% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 1,605 | 4.7% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 1,523 | 4.4% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 1,507 | 4.4% |
| #8 | Texas | | 1,443 | 4.2% |
New York share of Terence's total US births 14.4%
Even split
4,921 of 34,290 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 46 reporting states.
Terence appears in 46 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Terence? ▼
Terence has been given to 34,290 babies in the U.S. since 1885, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #2922 as of the latest data. 1,014 babies were born in 1964, its single highest year.
When was Terence most popular? ▼
Terence was most popular in the 1960s decade with 7,803 total births. The single peak year was 1964.
Where is Terence most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Terence are New York (4,921 births), California (2,603 births), Pennsylvania (1,897 births).
How long has the name Terence been used? ▼
Terence has been recorded in Social Security data since 1885, spanning 141 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Terence? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Terry, Terrence, Terrance, Terrell, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Terence's data
- Terence's decade-level peak was the 1960s (7,803 total births); usage has since declined to 303 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Terences (4,921 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Terence
Nearby Names Like Terence
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Terence
Terry Boy
#1186 424,523 births
Terrence Boy
#1522 72,412 births
Terrance Boy
#1292 70,170 births
Terrell Boy
#1496 36,502 births
Terrill Boy
#11053 4,365 births
Compare Terence side by side: Terence vs Terry Terence vs Terrence Terence vs Terrance
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Terence
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1885–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Terence: #2922 Boys' Name - 34,290 Births, Peak 1964." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/terence. 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 Terence 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 June 2026.