boys' name ★ peaked 1955

Terrence

Gender Boy · 1% girls Rank 2025 #1,600 Trend ↓ Falling 35%
Rank 2025
#1,600
among boys · ↓73 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
107
named Terrence · -8% vs 2024
How common
1 in 15,963
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1955
1,508 babies
All-time total
72,939
#394 all-time among boys
First recorded
1886
in Social Security records

Terrence popularity over time

72,939 babies have been named Terrence since 1886, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.250.50.75118801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 25 25 3 – #644
1890s – 59 59 6 +136% #675
1900s – 28 28 3 -53% #1,190
1910s – 213 213 21 +661% #1,092
1920s – 584 584 58 +174% #751
1930s – 1,773 1,773 177 +204% #294
1940s 45 7,656 7,701 770 +334% #177
1950s 84 12,833 12,917 1,292 +68% #176
1960s 110 10,818 10,928 1,093 -15% #205
1970s 147 11,905 12,052 1,205 +10% #187
1980s 118 10,665 10,783 1,078 -11% #209
1990s 23 7,724 7,747 775 -28% #255
2000s – 4,297 4,297 430 -45% #488
2010s – 3,003 3,003 300 -30% #588
2020s (to 2025) – 829 829 138 -54% #1,133

Where Terrence is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 99 0.06 outside top 500
2027 93 0.05 outside top 500
2028 88 0.05 outside top 500
2029 84 0.05 outside top 500
2030 81 0.05 outside top 500

Where Terrence is most popular

Boys named Terrence per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.076 per 1,000. Strongest in Illinois, Georgia, and North Carolina.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Terrence born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Illinois 40 0.157 +106%
Georgia 32 0.126 +66%
North Carolina 30 0.117 +55%
Florida 55 0.116 +53%
New York 44 0.102 +34%
Louisiana 10 0.098 +29%
Missouri 13 0.094 +23%
Tennessee 16 0.089 +17%
Ohio 23 0.087 +14%
Michigan 17 0.083 +9%
Virginia 12 0.063 -17%
California 52 0.057 -25%
Texas 48 0.054 -28%
South Carolina 5 0.048 -36%
Maryland 5 0.042 -45%
Pennsylvania 10 0.038 -50%
Indiana 5 0.031 -59%
New Jersey 5 0.025 -67%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Arizona – – –
Colorado – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Massachusetts – – –
Maine – – –
Minnesota – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Dakota – – –
Utah – – –
Vermont – – –
Washington – – –
Wisconsin – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Terrence

Terrence is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #1,600 in 2025 with 107 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1886, 72,939 American babies have been named Terrence. Its peak came in 1955, when 1,508 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1950s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Terrence stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Terrence?

The median living Terrence is about 49 years old; half are between 35 and 64. An estimated 60 thousand people named Terrence are alive in the United States today.

median 49 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Terrence year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 107 #1,600
2024 – – 116 #1,527
2023 – – 134 #1,389
2022 – – 151 #1,281
2021 – – 148 #1,287
2020 – – 173 #1,133
2019 – – 184 #1,090
2018 – – 217 #957
2017 – – 263 #842
2016 – – 272 #834
2015 – – 279 #814
2014 – – 329 #729
2013 – – 329 #716
2012 – – 340 #700
2011 – – 364 #646
2010 – – 426 #588
2009 – – 456 #579
2008 – – 420 #598
2007 – – 449 #572
2006 – – 467 #543
2005 – – 403 #578
2004 – – 354 #606
2003 – – 440 #530
2002 – – 397 #561
2001 – – 431 #520
2000 – – 480 #488
1995 – – 652 #367
1990 8 #10,121 1,055 #255
1985 8 #8,269 942 #244
1980 9 #7,359 1,185 #209
1975 13 #4,830 1,149 #196
1970 18 #3,558 1,460 #187
1965 14 #3,528 1,029 #226
1960 11 #4,150 1,014 #251
1955 11 #3,762 1,497 #181
1950 10 #3,642 1,267 #176
1945 6 #4,504 598 #226
1940 – – 397 #280
1935 – – 171 #428
1930 – – 67 #794
1925 – – 68 #808
1920 – – 55 #938
1915 – – 26 #1,337
1910 – – 9 #1,186
1905 – – – –
1900 – – 5 #1,485
1895 – – 6 #1,070
1890 – – 9 #733
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Terrence

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Terrence Howard Terrence Howard American actor (born 1969) Contemporary
  2. 2 Terrence Malick Terrence Malick American filmmaker (born 1943) Contemporary
  3. 3 Terrence Mann Terrence Mann American actor (born 1951) Contemporary
  4. 4 Terrence McNally Terrence McNally American playwright (1938–2020) Contemporary
  5. 5 Terrence Ross Terrence Ross American basketball player (born 1991) Contemporary
  6. 6 Terrence Jones Terrence Jones American basketball player (born 1992) Contemporary
  7. 7 Terrence Boyd Terrence Boyd Soccer player (born 1991) Contemporary
  8. 8 Terrence W. Wilcutt Terrence W. Wilcutt American astronaut (born 1949) Contemporary
  9. 9 Terrence Trammell Terrence Trammell American hurdler (born 1978) Contemporary
  10. 10 Terrence Jennings Terrence Jennings American taekwondo practitioner b. 1986 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Terrence, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Terrence?

The median living Terrence is about 49 years old. Half of all living Terrences are between 35 and 64 years old.

How many people named Terrence are alive today?

An estimated 60 thousand people named Terrence are alive in the United States, based on 72,939 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Terrence in 2025?

Terrence ranked #1,600 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 107 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Terrence?

72,939 babies have been named Terrence in the United States since 1886, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Terrence most popular?

Terrence peaked in 1955, when 1,508 newborns received the name.

Is Terrence a boy or girl name?

Terrence is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 99% of babies with the name.

Is the name Terrence rising or falling?

Terrence is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Terrence become more popular?

Terrence is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 81 boys named Terrence in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Terrence?

Well-known people named Terrence include Terrence Howard (actor), Terrence Malick (film director), Terrence Mann (actor).

Names like Terrence

Names that sound and feel close to Terrence: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Terrence with similar names → More names starting with T →