Terry
Terry was given to 192 boys in 2025, #1,116 among boys’ names; 521,478 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 372,000 Americans named Terry and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (71% of everyone recorded); the median is 66 years old and half are between 56 and 72.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Terry by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Terry mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Terry is “a male given name from the Germanic languages transferred back from the surname, or a diminutive of Terence or of any of its alternative forms.”
Also “a male given name from Latin derived from the Latin for the third (“tertius”) given to a third child or a child whose name has the suffix III.”
/ˈtɛɹi/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Terry?
#1,116 among boys’ names, 2025
Terry fell from #663 in 2015 to #1,116 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born fell from 0.20 to 0.11 per 1,000.
20,939 babies in 1955, the peak
Terry peaked in 1955, when 20,939 babies were given it (15,586 boys, #28 among boys’ names). The 202 births of 2025 (girls and boys) are under 1% of that peak.
Births by sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls’ rank | Boys | Boys’ rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 10 | #10,044 | 192 | #1,116 |
| 2024 | 10 | #10,193 | 174 | #1,187 |
| 2023 | 9 | #11,086 | 204 | #1,065 |
| 2022 | 7 | #13,450 | 231 | #978 |
| 2021 | under 5 | 214 | #1,029 | |
| 2020 | 8 | #12,042 | 238 | #933 |
| 2019 | 15 | #7,681 | 267 | #844 |
| 2018 | 10 | #10,486 | 314 | #757 |
| 2017 | 9 | #11,541 | 358 | #691 |
| 2016 | 11 | #10,052 | 388 | #666 |
Every recorded year (145)
| Year | Girls | Girls’ rank | Boys | Boys’ rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 8 | #12,905 | 389 | #663 |
| 2014 | 9 | #11,853 | 423 | #625 |
| 2013 | 15 | #8,109 | 427 | #594 |
| 2012 | 17 | #7,429 | 482 | #542 |
| 2011 | 18 | #7,087 | 478 | #533 |
| 2010 | 21 | #6,364 | 521 | #498 |
| 2009 | 23 | #6,072 | 482 | #549 |
| 2008 | 15 | #8,486 | 580 | #480 |
| 2007 | 26 | #5,510 | 608 | #455 |
| 2006 | 24 | #5,691 | 614 | #445 |
| 2005 | 25 | #5,243 | 693 | #406 |
| 2004 | 49 | #3,170 | 657 | #400 |
| 2003 | 22 | #5,567 | 667 | #392 |
| 2002 | 30 | #4,267 | 687 | #380 |
| 2001 | 36 | #3,696 | 803 | #343 |
| 2000 | 30 | #4,171 | 847 | #331 |
| 1999 | 44 | #3,039 | 905 | #315 |
| 1998 | 65 | #2,217 | 947 | #302 |
| 1997 | 60 | #2,278 | 1,046 | #269 |
| 1996 | 53 | #2,446 | 1,094 | #258 |
| 1995 | 55 | #2,386 | 1,176 | #245 |
| 1994 | 76 | #1,884 | 1,218 | #242 |
| 1993 | 94 | #1,624 | 1,426 | #213 |
| 1992 | 101 | #1,544 | 1,595 | #196 |
| 1991 | 90 | #1,662 | 1,740 | #180 |
| 1990 | 114 | #1,391 | 1,893 | #164 |
| 1989 | 142 | #1,159 | 2,003 | #151 |
| 1988 | 155 | #1,041 | 2,065 | #141 |
| 1987 | 177 | #930 | 2,102 | #133 |
| 1986 | 147 | #1,031 | 2,251 | #122 |
| 1985 | 180 | #892 | 2,374 | #119 |
| 1984 | 181 | #850 | 2,335 | #118 |
| 1983 | 215 | #755 | 2,470 | #110 |
| 1982 | 235 | #729 | 2,761 | #105 |
| 1981 | 227 | #732 | 2,815 | #105 |
| 1980 | 292 | #625 | 2,981 | #101 |
| 1979 | 304 | #593 | 3,040 | #96 |
| 1978 | 275 | #615 | 3,089 | #91 |
| 1977 | 315 | #559 | 3,443 | #83 |
| 1976 | 387 | #475 | 3,668 | #75 |
| 1975 | 491 | #412 | 3,971 | #67 |
| 1974 | 519 | #394 | 4,027 | #69 |
| 1973 | 638 | #343 | 4,374 | #65 |
| 1972 | 748 | #320 | 4,770 | #62 |
| 1971 | 987 | #286 | 5,858 | #56 |
| 1970 | 1,114 | #269 | 6,186 | #54 |
| 1969 | 1,243 | #240 | 6,415 | #52 |
| 1968 | 1,399 | #217 | 7,089 | #48 |
| 1967 | 1,594 | #201 | 7,685 | #42 |
| 1966 | 1,710 | #191 | 8,455 | #40 |
| 1965 | 2,021 | #174 | 9,088 | #40 |
| 1964 | 2,909 | #139 | 10,867 | #35 |
| 1963 | 3,521 | #123 | 12,463 | #32 |
| 1962 | 4,039 | #112 | 12,301 | #34 |
| 1961 | 4,362 | #108 | 13,194 | #32 |
| 1960 | 4,840 | #101 | 13,932 | #34 |
| 1959 | 5,215 | #95 | 14,545 | #33 |
| 1958 | 5,327 | #89 | 15,006 | #33 |
| 1957 | 5,266 | #92 | 15,624 | #33 |
| 1956 | 5,272 | #91 | 15,064 | #31 |
| 1955 | 5,353 | #83 | 15,586 | #28 |
| 1954 | 4,787 | #88 | 15,553 | #27 |
| 1953 | 3,374 | #117 | 13,259 | #30 |
| 1952 | 3,032 | #120 | 12,438 | #29 |
| 1951 | 3,042 | #115 | 12,216 | #30 |
| 1950 | 2,526 | #127 | 11,433 | #30 |
| 1949 | 2,791 | #115 | 11,457 | #28 |
| 1948 | 2,280 | #133 | 12,136 | #26 |
| 1947 | 2,291 | #135 | 12,751 | #26 |
| 1946 | 1,917 | #143 | 10,678 | #26 |
| 1945 | 950 | #204 | 6,834 | #33 |
| 1944 | 914 | #217 | 5,974 | #43 |
| 1943 | 923 | #217 | 5,737 | #49 |
| 1942 | 818 | #235 | 4,810 | #52 |
| 1941 | 444 | #308 | 3,606 | #64 |
| 1940 | 370 | #331 | 2,982 | #73 |
| 1939 | 315 | #370 | 2,444 | #83 |
| 1938 | 273 | #406 | 2,336 | #86 |
| 1937 | 232 | #425 | 1,684 | #113 |
| 1936 | 200 | #453 | 1,291 | #126 |
| 1935 | 195 | #457 | 962 | #154 |
| 1934 | 146 | #540 | 720 | #182 |
| 1933 | 145 | #529 | 572 | #206 |
| 1932 | 149 | #536 | 430 | #264 |
| 1931 | 119 | #608 | 290 | #322 |
| 1930 | 152 | #555 | 296 | #321 |
| 1929 | 120 | #633 | 222 | #392 |
| 1928 | 142 | #593 | 218 | #408 |
| 1927 | 162 | #558 | 180 | #458 |
| 1926 | 145 | #590 | 165 | #470 |
| 1925 | 148 | #597 | 190 | #436 |
| 1924 | 116 | #692 | 140 | #534 |
| 1923 | 94 | #751 | 134 | #527 |
| 1922 | 98 | #738 | 130 | #556 |
| 1921 | 94 | #756 | 125 | #567 |
| 1920 | 54 | #1,019 | 142 | #514 |
| 1919 | 55 | #965 | 94 | #627 |
| 1918 | 54 | #987 | 100 | #617 |
| 1917 | 46 | #1,052 | 92 | #619 |
| 1916 | 31 | #1,326 | 85 | #634 |
| 1915 | 32 | #1,252 | 105 | #549 |
| 1914 | 37 | #985 | 58 | #672 |
| 1913 | 24 | #1,145 | 69 | #519 |
| 1912 | 17 | #1,344 | 49 | #581 |
| 1911 | 16 | #1,163 | 29 | #574 |
| 1910 | 16 | #1,162 | 30 | #521 |
| 1909 | 11 | #1,361 | 27 | #501 |
| 1908 | 6 | #2,075 | 23 | #539 |
| 1907 | 11 | #1,277 | 20 | #556 |
| 1906 | 10 | #1,312 | 13 | #703 |
| 1905 | 9 | #1,402 | 15 | #634 |
| 1904 | under 5 | 18 | #535 | |
| 1903 | 6 | #1,769 | 18 | #522 |
| 1902 | under 5 | 18 | #519 | |
| 1901 | under 5 | 13 | #590 | |
| 1900 | under 5 | 21 | #532 | |
| 1899 | under 5 | 7 | #922 | |
| 1898 | under 5 | 14 | #604 | |
| 1897 | under 5 | 15 | #549 | |
| 1896 | under 5 | 20 | #458 | |
| 1895 | under 5 | 13 | #605 | |
| 1894 | under 5 | 12 | #623 | |
| 1893 | under 5 | 8 | #826 | |
| 1892 | 7 | #1,265 | 12 | #634 |
| 1891 | under 5 | 5 | #1,109 | |
| 1890 | under 5 | 12 | #598 | |
| 1889 | under 5 | 9 | #717 | |
| 1888 | under 5 | 15 | #524 | |
| 1887 | under 5 | 16 | #437 | |
| 1886 | under 5 | 12 | #571 | |
| 1885 | under 5 | 9 | #691 | |
| 1884 | under 5 | 10 | #653 | |
| 1883 | under 5 | 10 | #639 | |
| 1882 | under 5 | 7 | #828 | |
| 1880 | under 5 | 10 | #632 |
Ranks: girls’ names and boys’ names ranked separately in each year’s SSA file; “under 5” is a year SSA did not list the name for that sex.
Is Terry a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Of the 521,478 Americans recorded as Terry, 19% are girls and 81% boys. In 2025 it went to 10 girls and 192 boys.
Years with fewer than 20 babies given the name are left blank.
Girls and boys named Terry: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Terry, and how old are they?
372,000 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 71% of the 521,478 Americans ever recorded as Terry. The median Terry alive today is 66 years old; half are between 56 and 72.
The 2020 Census counted 376,955 people named Terry (77,384 women and girls, 299,571 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 410,370 born in the U.S. The Census count is 8% below that prediction.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 16,000 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 223,000 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 86,000 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 31,800 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 11,300 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 3,910 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Terry born?
The states with the most babies named Terry are California, Texas and Ohio, with 19% of its births recorded by state since 1910.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 33,945 | #1,355 | 0.8× |
| Texas | 32,304 | #951 | 1.0× |
| Ohio | 32,276 | #794 | 1.2× |
| Illinois | 28,330 | #1,122 | 1.0× |
| Michigan | 25,599 | #709 | 1.1× |
| Pennsylvania | 23,555 | not ranked | 0.8× |
| Indiana | 19,745 | #1,061 | 1.4× |
| North Carolina | 19,598 | #819 | 1.3× |
| Tennessee | 19,050 | #916 | 1.7× |
| New York | 18,688 | #1,391 | 0.4× |
Where Terry is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Terry is most over-represented in Tennessee: since 1910 it was given 1.7 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Terry with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 8 names spelled alike, given to 775,906 babies since 1880, Terry is the most given (67% of them). In 2025 it was given to 202 of their 497 babies (41%), the second most given that year.
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
More about Terry and names like it
- Compare Terry and TerriBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1950sTerry peaked in 1955.
- California’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Terry since 1910.
- The top names of 1955The year the most babies were named Terry.
- The names of the Baby BoomersMost people named Terry alive today were born 1946-1964.
- Names starting with TMost given first.