Total births
2,961
Boys' name · since 1915
Terrel
2,961 babies named Terrel in U.S. Social Security records since 1915, with the highest year being 1989. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #9981
- among boys today
- 2,961
- born since 1915
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 30%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Terrel is the #9981 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 2,961 recorded since 1915.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Terrel has been recorded 2,961 times among boys since 1915, currently ranked #9981 nationally and more common than 30% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1990s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1915 to 2024.
- #9981 among boys today
- 2,961 born since 1915
- 1990s peak decade
- 30% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Terrel is currently the #9981 boys' name in America, more common than 30% of boys - 2,961 born since 1915, peaking in the 1990s.
- #9981
- among boys today
- 2,961
- born since 1915
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 30%
- more common than other boys
Terrel vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#9981
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 30% of names given to boys today.
1990s
Peak decade
23% of everyone ever named Terrel was born in this single decade.
1989
Single peak year
94 babies were named Terrel in 1989 - its busiest year on record.
How Terrel compares
2,961 Top 17% higher than 83% 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
Terrel's all-time total is 8x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Terrel | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,961 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 94 | 23 | 22,252 |
Terrel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Terrel's full recorded timeline at 1971, 68% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 32% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1926, with just 6 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1989 peak of 94 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Terrel at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1989
Current rank
#9,981
Active since
1915
Terrel popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1915–2024
- Peak year (1989)
- 94
- Annual births at peak, across 110 years of records
Terrel popularity over time - girls
81 total births recorded since 1946 (Terrel as girls' name)
Terrel by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Terrel's strongest decade.
669 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Terrel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 22
1910s
22 births
- 1920s 74
1920s
74 births
- 1930s 101
1930s
101 births
- 1940s 224
1940s
224 births
- 1950s 255
1950s
255 births
- 1960s 255
1960s
255 births
- 1970s
1970s
281 births
- 1980s
1980s
579 births
- 1990s
1990s
669 births
- 2000s
2000s
335 births
- 2010s 128
2010s
128 births
- 2020s 38
2020s
38 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 669 births (23% of all-time use).
How Terrel 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 Terrel's total volume
Terrel vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Terrel by state
Where Terrel concentrates geographically, total births since 1915
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 198 | 6.7% |
| #2 | Louisiana | | 103 | 3.5% |
| #3 | California | | 85 | 2.9% |
| #4 | Texas | | 78 | 2.6% |
| #5 | Florida | | 55 | 1.9% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 30 | 1.0% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 27 | 0.9% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 24 | 0.8% |
New York share of Terrel's total US births 6.7%
Even split
198 of 2,961 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 19 reporting states.
Terrel appears in 19 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Terrel? ▼
Since 1915, Social Security records show 2,961 babies named Terrel. Today it holds rank #9981 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1989, with 94 births.
When was Terrel most popular? ▼
Terrel was most popular in the 1990s decade with 669 total births. The single peak year was 1989.
Where is Terrel most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Terrel are New York (198 births), Louisiana (103 births), California (85 births).
How long has the name Terrel been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Terrel since 1915 -- 110 years through the most recent 2024 data.
What names are similar to Terrel? ▼
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 Terrel's data
- Terrel's decade-level peak was the 1990s (669 total births); usage has since declined to 38 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Terrels (198 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 Terrel
Nearby Names Like Terrel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Terrel
Terry Boy
#1186 424,523 births
Terrence Boy
#1522 72,412 births
Terrance Boy
#1292 70,170 births
Terrell Boy
#1496 36,502 births
Terence Boy
#2922 34,290 births
Compare Terrel side by side: Terrel vs Terry Terrel vs Terrence Terrel vs Terrance
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Terrel
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, 1915–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Terrel: #9981 Boys' Name - 2,961 Births, Peak 1989." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/terrel. 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 Terrel 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.