Total births
70,170
Boys' name · since 1895
Terrance
70,170 babies named Terrance in U.S. Social Security records since 1895, with the highest year being 1988. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1292
- among boys today
- 70,170
- born since 1895
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 91%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Terrance is the #1292 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 70,170 recorded since 1895.
Terrance has 70,170 recorded births among boys since 1895, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1292 as of the latest data, more common than 91% of boys, busiest in the 1980s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1895 to 2025.
- #1292 among boys today
- 70,170 born since 1895
- 1980s peak decade
- 91% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Terrance is currently the #1292 boys' name in America, more common than 91% of boys - 70,170 born since 1895, peaking in the 1980s.
- #1292
- among boys today
- 70,170
- born since 1895
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 91%
- more common than other boys
Terrance vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1292
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 91% of names given to boys today.
1980s
Peak decade
18% of everyone ever named Terrance was born in this single decade.
1988
Single peak year
1,424 babies were named Terrance in 1988 - its busiest year on record.
How Terrance compares
70,170 Top 3% higher than 97% 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
Terrance's all-time total is 191x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Terrance | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 70,170 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,424 | 23 | 22,252 |
Terrance's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Terrance splits its recorded history at 1967: 67% of all births land in the more recent half, 33% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1895 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1988 peak of 1,424 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Terrance at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1988
Current rank
#1,292
Active since
1895
Terrance popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1895–2025
- Peak year (1988)
- 1,424
- Annual births at peak, across 131 years of records
Terrance popularity over time - girls
751 total births recorded since 1943 (Terrance as girls' name)
Terrance by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Terrance's strongest decade.
12,570 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 18% of all-time use.
Terrance births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 5
1890s
5 births
- 1910s 127
1910s
127 births
- 1920s 289
1920s
289 births
- 1930s 1,120
1930s
1,120 births
- 1940s
1940s
5,457 births
- 1950s
1950s
9,834 births
- 1960s
1960s
9,059 births
- 1970s
1970s
11,884 births
- 1980s
1980s
12,570 births
- 1990s
1990s
9,547 births
- 2000s
2000s
5,646 births
- 2010s 3,607
2010s
3,607 births
- 2020s 1,025
2020s
1,025 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 12,570 births (18% of all-time use).
How Terrance 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 Terrance's total volume
Terrance vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Terrance by state
Where Terrance concentrates geographically, total births since 1895
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Illinois | | 4,819 | 6.9% |
| #2 | New York | | 4,438 | 6.3% |
| #3 | Michigan | | 4,338 | 6.2% |
| #4 | California | | 3,879 | 5.5% |
| #5 | Texas | | 3,859 | 5.5% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 3,809 | 5.4% |
| #7 | Florida | | 3,506 | 5.0% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 3,471 | 4.9% |
Illinois share of Terrance's total US births 6.9%
Even split
4,819 of 70,170 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Terrance appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Terrance? ▼
Since 1895, Social Security records show 70,170 babies named Terrance. Today it holds rank #1292 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1988, with 1,424 births.
When was Terrance most popular? ▼
Terrance was most popular in the 1980s decade with 12,570 total births. The single peak year was 1988.
Where is Terrance most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Terrance are Illinois (4,819 births), New York (4,438 births), Michigan (4,338 births).
How long has the name Terrance been used? ▼
Records for Terrance go back to 1895, giving 131 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Terrance? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Terry, Terrence, Terrell, Terence, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Terrance's data
- Terrance's decade-level peak was the 1980s (12,570 total births); usage has since declined to 1,025 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Illinois records the most Terrances (4,819 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Illinois 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 Terrance
Nearby Names Like Terrance
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Terrance
Terry Boy
#1186 424,523 births
Terrence Boy
#1522 72,412 births
Terrell Boy
#1496 36,502 births
Terence Boy
#2922 34,290 births
Terrill Boy
#11053 4,365 births
Compare Terrance side by side: Terrance vs Terry Terrance vs Terrence Terrance vs Terrell
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Terrance
Booker #1291
12,230 births · Peak 1916
Sultan #1293
2,396 births · Peak 2025
Ulysses #1290
18,655 births · Peak 1999
Bronx #1294
2,388 births · Peak 2025
Karsyn #1289
2,898 births · Peak 2020
Jeffery #1295
230,549 births · Peak 1962
Graysen #1288
4,384 births · Peak 2016
Trent #1296
51,608 births · Peak 2001
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, 1895–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Terrance: #1292 Boys' Name - 70,170 Births, Peak 1988." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/terrance. 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 Terrance 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.