Total births
15,429
Girls' name · since 1940
Terra
Terra has 15,429 recorded births since 1940 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1980 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #2516
- among girls today
- 15,429
- born since 1940
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 86%
- more common than other girls
15,429 babies have been named Terra since 1940, making it today's #2516 girls' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Terra has been recorded 15,429 times among girls since 1940, currently ranked #2516 nationally and more common than 86% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1970s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1940 to 2025.
- #2516 among girls today
- 15,429 born since 1940
- 1970s peak decade
- 86% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Terra is currently the #2516 girls' name in America, more common than 86% of girls - 15,429 born since 1940, peaking in the 1970s.
- #2516
- among girls today
- 15,429
- born since 1940
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 86%
- more common than other girls
Terra vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#2516
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 86% of names given to girls today.
1970s
Peak decade
31% of everyone ever named Terra was born in this single decade.
1980
Single peak year
604 babies were named Terra in 1980 - its busiest year on record.
How Terra compares
15,429 Top 7% higher than 93% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Terra's all-time total is 40x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Terra | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 15,429 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 604 | 48 | 19,840 |
Terra's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Terra's SSA record in two at 1983 and the more recent half accounts for 52% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 48%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1940, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1980 peak of 604, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Terra at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1980
Current rank
#2,516
Active since
1940
Terra popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1940–2025
- Peak year (1980)
- 604
- Annual births at peak, across 86 years of records
Terra popularity over time - boys
5 total births recorded since 1984 (Terra as boys' name)
Terra by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was Terra's strongest decade.
4,766 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.
Terra births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 81
1940s
81 births
- 1950s 365
1950s
365 births
- 1960s 613
1960s
613 births
- 1970s
1970s
4,766 births
- 1980s
1980s
4,636 births
- 1990s
1990s
2,437 births
- 2000s 1,163
2000s
1,163 births
- 2010s 886
2010s
886 births
- 2020s 482
2020s
482 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 4,766 births (31% of all-time use).
How Terra 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 Terra's total volume
Terra vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Terra by state
Where Terra concentrates geographically, total births since 1940
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,727 | 11.2% |
| #2 | Texas | | 943 | 6.1% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 855 | 5.5% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 670 | 4.3% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 604 | 3.9% |
| #6 | Florida | | 495 | 3.2% |
| #7 | Washington | | 460 | 3.0% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 406 | 2.6% |
California share of Terra's total US births 11.2%
Even split
1,727 of 15,429 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 41 reporting states.
Terra appears in 41 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Terra? ▼
Since 1940, Social Security records show 15,429 babies named Terra. Today it holds rank #2516 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1980, with 604 births.
When was Terra most popular? ▼
Terra was most popular in the 1970s decade with 4,766 total births. The single peak year was 1980.
Where is Terra most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Terra are California (1,727 births), Texas (943 births), Ohio (855 births).
How long has the name Terra been used? ▼
Records for Terra go back to 1940, giving 86 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Terra? ▼
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 Terra's data
- Terra's decade-level peak was the 1970s (4,766 total births); usage has since declined to 482 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Terras (1,727 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 Terra
Nearby Names Like Terra
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Terra
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 Terra side by side: Terra vs Teresa Terra vs Terri Terra vs Terry
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Terra
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, 1940–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Terra: #2516 Girls' Name - 15,429 Births, Peak 1980." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/terra. 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 Terra 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.