Terrance
Terrance was the 1570th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 109 babies. Its best year was 1979, when it ranked 179th; the most babies were born in 1988 (1,424). Over the last ten years it has moved down 895 places. More babies were named Terrance in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Latin
Say it TAIR-ens /ˈtɛrəns/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,570 boys, down 607 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 109boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19881,424 babies
- Total since 1880
- 70,921babies recorded
What does the name Terrance mean?
Terrance is a spelling of Terence, from the Latin Terentius, a Roman family name of unknown origin. Its best-known bearer is the Roman comic playwright Terence (2nd century BC). DMNES notes that in Ireland Terentius was used to render the Irish name Toirdhealbhach (Turlough) in Latin, which made Terence common among the Irish. Terrance, with its -ance ending, is chiefly an American spelling.
Terentius (Latin, “Roman family name of unknown origin”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. The Roman family name Terentius has no agreed meaning.
Related names: Terence, Terrence, Terry.
See also: Latin names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Terrance', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Terence', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Terence', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wikipedia, 'Terrance', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Nicknames for Terrance
The usual nicknames for Terrance are Terry. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Terrance in the last five years, 127 were named Terry, against 126 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terry · also for Teresa | Traditional | #1,116 | 1,015 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Terrances go by each one.
Terrance popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 751 since 1943.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,570 | 109 |
| 2020 | #963 | 226 |
| 2010 | #570 | 446 |
| 2000 | #402 | 628 |
| 1990 | #236 | 1,223 |
| 1980 | #179 | 1,379 |
| 1970 | #213 | 1,177 |
| 1960 | #291 | 725 |
| 1950 | #208 | 954 |
| 1940 | #360 | 254 |
| 1930 | #1,035 | 45 |
| 1920 | #1,636 | 23 |
| 1910 | #1,568 | 6 |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Terrance, counting every spelling?
Terrance is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #869 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,570 for Terrance on its own. Together these spellings went to 263 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terrance | 109 | #1,570 | 799 |
| Terrence | 107 | #1,600 | 656 |
| Terence | 47 | #2,753 | 244 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Terrance?
109 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Terrance (0.03 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Terrance born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 77 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Terrance.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Terrance?
About 58,400 people born in the US named Terrance are alive today, with a median age of 45; half are between 32 and 59. That makes Terrance mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Terrance by state
How common Terrance was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Louisiana (3.4×), South Carolina (2.3×), Georgia (2.0×), Tennessee (1.7×), Florida (1.6×). In 29 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Terrance: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Terrance, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Terrance · Sibling names for Terrance
Questions about the name Terrance
What does Terrance mean?
The origin of Terrance is uncertain: the Roman family name Terentius has no agreed meaning.
How popular is the name Terrance?
Terrance was the 1570th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 109 babies. Its best year was 1979, when it ranked 179th; the most babies were born in 1988 (1,424). Over the last ten years it has moved down 895 places. More babies were named Terrance in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Is Terrance a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Terrance in the US.
Where is Terrance most popular?
In 2021–2025, Terrance was most common in Mississippi (0.32 per 1,000 boys), followed by Louisiana and South Carolina.