Terry

“Variant of Terence — from the Latin name Terentius” — Latin origin

Boy's name · #1116 in the US (2025) · Heirloom

Terry is an heirloom: its strongest era came around 1946, when it ranked #26. It has thinned since but never left the records — about 425,000 boys since 1880, ranked #1116 today.

Around the world: about 1 in 4,000 boys in Ireland (2025) · about 1 in 11,000 boys in Canada (2024) · about 1 in 18,000 boys in England & Wales (2025).

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 22 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Terrys

Terry Pratchett — English fantasy author (1948–2015)
Terry Gilliam — American born-British filmmaker, comedian, and actor (born 1940)
Terry Crews — American actor, television host, and American football player (born 1968)
Terry Jones — Welsh actor, comedian, director, historian and writer (1942–2020)
Terry Fox — Canadian athlete, humanitarian, and cancer research activist

In stories & tradition

Terry Boot — Harry Potter
Terry McGinnis — Batman Beyond · Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
Terry Bogard — Fatal Fury: King of Fighters · Fatal Fury 2

What Terrys become

Among 2,554 notable people named Terry:

Sports figures appear 2.21× more often than among typical names — e.g. Terry Crews, American actor, television host, and American football player (born 1968).

Similar names: Terrance · Larry · Terrell · Jerry · Billy · Ricky

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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