boy's name
Terrence
TEH-rens
- Origin Latin
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 8
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 74,452
Scotland
#333
1987 births
Terrence descends from a Roman playwright who was born enslaved in North Africa — Terence was freed by his owner, wrote six comedies that survive complete, and shaped Latin prose style for centuries. We record 73,498 lifetime births for it, strongest in the United States.
- Terrence is a name of Latin origin.
- Peaked in 1955, when 1,508 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 30,985 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1886.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Terrence over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 25 |
| 1890s | 59 |
| 1900s | 28 |
| 1910s | 213 |
| 1920s | 584 |
| 1930s | 1,773 |
| 1940s | 7,701 |
| 1950s | 12,917 |
| 1960s | 10,928 |
| 1970s | 12,052 |
| 1980s | 10,783 |
| 1990s | 7,747 |
| 2000s | 4,297 |
| 2010s | 3,003 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 829 |
What Terrence means
Terrence has no securely known meaning. The Roman family name Terentius has no established derivation, and the smooth or tender reading is a proposal rather than a translation.
Where Terrence comes from
Terrence descends from the Roman gens name Terentius, whose derivation is unrecovered. Publius Terentius Afer was brought to Rome as an enslaved North African, educated and freed by the senator whose name he took, and his six surviving comedies became a school text — which is why his Latin shaped prose style long after the plays stopped being staged. In Ireland the name was used to anglicize Toirdhealbhach, a separate Irish name meaning instigator.
Terrence in use
Terrence peaked in the United States in 1955, when 1,508 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It charts in four of the seven markets we track — 1,585th in the United States on 107 births, 3857th in England and Wales and 5325th in France — across 74,452 lifetime births. Terrance, the other spelling, is written up separately and holds slightly less volume.
How popular is Terrence?
In 2025, Terrence was given to 107 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Terrence is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Terrence
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Terrence also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Terrence over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Terrence
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Terrence in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Terrence
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Terrence — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Terrence
What does the name Terrence mean?
Not known. The Roman Terentius has no established derivation.
Who was Terence?
A playwright brought to Rome enslaved from North Africa, freed by his owner, whose six comedies survive complete.
Is Terrence Irish?
It was used to anglicize Toirdhealbhach, which is a separate Irish name.
How popular is Terrence?
1585th in the United States, down from a 1955 peak of 1,508 births.
Is Terrence a girl's or a boy's name?
Terrence is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Terrence?
Terrence has 2 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Terrence?
Terrence is usually shortened to Terry.
Is Terrence a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Terrence currently ranks #1,541 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.