Terrence

Terrence - A very unique male name

Terrence appeared on the charts for the first time in 1913 on position #1083. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Terrence and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Terrence? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Terrence. The baby boy name Terrence was given to 59 baby boys in 2025, ranking #1592 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 24,852 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Terrence peaked in popularity 76 years ago in 1950 on position 176.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Terrence, 1-5?

Terrence is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Terrence is currently topping the baby name charts in New York at position #1,111 - and is the least popular in California at position #1,673.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Terrence is where you live.

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Terrence origin and meaning

Variant of Terence, a Roman family name

Unknown — the Roman clan name Terentius has no established meaning

Terrence is a spelling variant of Terence, from the Roman family name Terentius, whose origin is lost. Terence was the name of a celebrated Roman playwright, a freed slave from Carthage. The double-r spelling became the American standard in the 20th century, peaking in 1955.

Origin uncertain

Terrence is a 8 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Terrence, pop culture references for the name Terrence and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Terrence

We've found the following names that sound similar to Terrence, sorted by popularity.

Terrance / Terence / Torrance / Torrence / Terance / Trung / Tarrance / Truong / Tranquilino / Tarrence /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Terrence

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Terrence a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Terrence?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

TEH-runs · /ˈtɛrəns/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Terence — The classical spelling of the same name.
• Terrance — Another common American spelling.

Nicknames: TerryT

Famous bearers

• Terrence Howard — American actor known for Empire and Hustle & Flow (b. 1969) Contemporary
• Terrence Malick — American film director of The Tree of Life and Days of Heaven (b. 1943) Contemporary

Style

Classic

Why parents choose it

Terrence offers mid-century solidity with distinguished bearers in film on both sides of the camera.

Worth knowing

• Three spellings — Terrence, Terence, Terrance — are easily confused, and the name has fallen since the 1950s.