Terry
A medieval English form of Thierry, the French development of the Germanic Theodoric, 'ruler of the people'. It also serves as a short form of Terence.
Terry in 2025
Terry was given to 202 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 2,197th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 16,413 babies born.
The history of Terry
Terry reached its highest point in 1955, when 20,939 babies were given the name, ranking 39th that year.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 521,478 babies have been named Terry. Half of them were born before 1958, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Baby Boomers.
Terry by decade
| Decade | Babies named Terry | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 98 | 999 |
| 1890s | 125 | 1,125 |
| 1900s | 239 | 1,035 |
| 1910s | 1,039 | 975 |
| 1920s | 2,819 | 648 |
| 1930s | 12,951 | 165 |
| 1940s | 90,663 | 44 |
| 1950s | 183,918 | 39 |
| 1960s | 129,127 | 45 |
| 1970s | 48,204 | 93 |
| 1980s | 26,108 | 186 |
| 1990s | 13,792 | 306 |
| 2000s | 6,918 | 672 |
| 2010s | 4,180 | 1,032 |
| 2020s | 1,297 | 1,916 |
Where Terry is heading
Terry has fallen 49% over the past decade, from 397 babies in 2015 to 202 in 2025.
That is less than 5% of its 1955 peak — Terry is now a rare name in the United States.
Names like Terry
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Terry.