Temperance
Restraint, moderation, and self-control, especially against indulgence of excess.
Name Census estimates that about 3,566 living Americans carry the first name Temperance. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Temperance today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Temperance births was 2014 (323 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Temperance. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Temperance is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 13 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
3.6K
~ 1 in 96,117 Americans
Peak year
2014
323 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,127
Tracked since 1916
Popularity
Temperance: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Temperance from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 2,416 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Temperance by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Temperance during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Temperances live
The SSA's state-level files cover 37 states and territories. Texas, Ohio, Michigan recorded the most babies named Temperance, while Wyoming, Nebraska, Mississippi recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 65 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Temperance
The name Temperance has its origins in the Late Latin word "temperantia," which means moderation, restraint, or sobriety. This word is derived from the Latin verb "temperare," meaning to temper or moderate. The name gained popularity during the Middle Ages as a virtue name, reflecting the Christian ideal of self-control and moderation.
In the early 14th century, the name appeared in the literary work "The Canterbury Tales" by Geoffrey Chaucer, where one of the characters was named Temperance. This suggests that the name was already in use during that time period in England.
The name Temperance also has strong associations with the Temperance Movement, a social movement that advocated for moderation or complete abstinence from alcoholic beverages. The movement gained momentum in the 19th century, particularly in the United States and parts of Europe.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Temperance was Temperance Flowerdew, an English colonist who was born in 1609 and was among the first women to arrive in Virginia Colony. Another notable historical figure with this name was Temperance Wickham Holt (1805-1868), an American educator and women's rights advocate.
In the 18th century, Temperance Lloyd (1738-1776) was a Welsh diarist and writer who kept a detailed journal of her life in Philadelphia during the American Revolutionary War. Her diary provided valuable insights into the daily lives of Quakers during that period.
During the 19th century, Temperance Billique (1814-1889) was a Mohawk writer and activist from Kahnawake, Quebec, Canada. She was known for her advocacy for the rights of Indigenous peoples and her efforts to preserve Mohawk language and culture.
Another notable figure was Temperance Brennan (1825-1868), an American schoolteacher and activist who was involved in the anti-slavery and women's suffrage movements. She co-founded the Women's Loyal National League during the American Civil War to support the Union cause.
The name Temperance has a rich history, reflecting ideals of moderation, self-control, and virtue. While its popularity has waned in recent times, it remains a unique and meaningful name with deep historical roots.
People
Temperance + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Temperance as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Temperance: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Temperance?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3,566 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Temperance going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 96,117 US residents.
Is Temperance a common name?
We classify Temperance as "Rare". It ranks above 95.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 3,610 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Temperance most popular?
The single biggest year for Temperance was 2014, when 323 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Temperance is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Temperance a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Temperance in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.