Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Terry

There are two possible etymological sources for the name Terry. Most commonly, Terry is considered a gender-free short form of names like Theresa, Terrence and Terrell. Alternately, Terry is a spelling variation of the Old French Thierry which in turn was derived from the ancient Germanic masculine name Theodoric, from the elements “ƿeud” meaning ‘people, race’ and “rīc” meaning ‘power’. The medieval name Thierry was introduced to the English by the Norman French and originally used as a surname. We have also read that Terry could be an anglicized form of the Old Gaelic personal name Toirdealbhaigh meaning "One who is like Thor" (god of Thunder in Norse mythology).

All About the Baby Name – Terry

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME TERRY

The number Five personality loves the excitement of life and can easily adapt to all situations. As natural adventurers, these personalities thrive on the new and unexpected and prefer to be in constant motion. It makes them feel alive. They'll stir up some action if there's not enough around, and as inherent risk-takers they enjoy pushing the envelope. Naturally rebellious, the Five personality has no fear and never resists change.  Traveling and new experiences feed their souls. Fives are very social and attract friends with ease. People love to be around the Five fun-loving and exciting energy.  This is also a lucky number in numerology (like the Threes), so fortune seems to shine on them, helped along by their own optimism and good-nature. Fives have a quick wit, a cerebral mind, and are generally very persuasive. 

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME TERRY

Although Terry is widely considered a unisex pet form, as an independently given name, Terry is mainly masculine. The name has remained on the American male naming charts since the late 1880s. Not a super popular choice at the turn of the 20th century, Terry started to show some real progress on the charts by the 1920s. In 1938 the name landed on the Top 100 list of most favored boy names in the United States. The real height of Terry’s popularity came between 1945 and 1955 when it was a Top 30. Along with Larry, Jerry, Ronald and Donald, we would definitely place Terry in the mid-century category of male names. It is strongly identified with this period of American history, unfortunately making it feel a bit outdated today. The name finally fell off the Top 100 list in 1980 after a remarkable 40+ year ride, but it has been declining ever since with no signs of rebounding. Terry is a simple, casual and friendly name. It’s a good choice for the no-nonsense parents who could care less about following the current naming fashions.

Quick Facts

ON TERRY

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

English

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

595

PRONUNCIATION:

TER-ee

SIMPLE MEANING:

Ruler of the people

Characteristics

OF TERRY

Freedom-loving

Adventurous

Adaptable

Intellectual

Easygoing

Progressive

Sensual

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Terry

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME TERRY

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Terry

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME TERRY

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Terry


Popular Songs

ON TERRY

Zero And Blind Terry
a song by Bruce Springsteen

Famous People

NAMED TERRY

Terry Bradshaw (football player)
Terence “Terry” Gilliam (film writer/director)
Terrence “Terry” Malick (film writer/director)
Terry Fox (inspirational philanthropist)
Terry Richardson (photographer)
Terry Bradshaw (football player)
Terence “Terry” Gilliam (film writer/director)
Terrence “Terry” Malick (film writer/director)
Terry Fox (inspirational philanthropist)
Terry Richardson (photographer)
Terry Bradshaw (football player)
Terence “Terry” Gilliam (film writer/director)
Terrence “Terry” Malick (film writer/director)
Terry Fox (inspirational philanthropist)
Terry Richardson (photographer)

Children of Famous People

NAMED TERRY

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Terry

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME TERRY

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Terry