Tercel
A Spanish masculine name meaning "falcon" or "hawk".
Name Census estimates that about 12 living Americans carry the first name Tercel. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Tercel today is around 37 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tercel births was 1986 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tercel. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Tercel. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
12
~ 1 in 28,562,862 Americans
Peak year
1986
7 babies that year
Average age
37
years old
1989 SSA rank
#9,100
Tracked since 1986
Popularity
Tercel: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Tercel 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 Tercel during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 12 | 0 | 12 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Tercel
The given name Tercel originates from the Old French language, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the word "tercelet," which referred to a male falcon or a small male hawk used for hunting. The name's etymology links it to the sport of falconry, which was popular among the nobility during the Middle Ages.
In its early usage, Tercel was primarily associated with the upper classes and members of the aristocracy who engaged in falconry as a pastime. The name gained wider recognition and popularity in medieval Europe, particularly in regions where falconry was practiced extensively, such as France, England, and parts of Italy.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Tercel can be found in a 13th-century French poem titled "Le Roman de la Rose," where it is used to describe a falcon. This literary reference suggests that the name was already in use during that time period.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Tercel. One of the earliest recorded examples is Tercel de Meranie (1186-1234), a French nobleman and crusader who participated in the Fifth Crusade. Another notable figure is Tercel de Lorraine (1228-1273), a French military commander who fought in the Eighth Crusade.
In the 14th century, Tercel de Chambly (1315-1368) was a prominent French knight who participated in the Hundred Years' War between England and France. He served under King John II and was known for his bravery on the battlefield.
Moving into the Renaissance era, Tercel de Vaux (1510-1572) was a French poet and humanist who was part of the literary circle known as the Pléiade. His works were influential in shaping the French Renaissance literature.
In more recent times, Tercel Trevanian (1925-2005) was the pen name of an American author best known for his novel "The Eiger Sanction." Although his given name was not Tercel, his choice of pseudonym reflects the enduring influence of this historical name.
These examples illustrate the longevity and cultural significance of the name Tercel, which has been borne by individuals from various walks of life throughout the centuries, from nobility and military commanders to poets and authors.
People
Tercel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tercel 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
Tercel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tercel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 12 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tercel 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 28,562,862 US residents.
Is Tercel a common name?
We classify Tercel as "Very Rare". It ranks above 32.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 12 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tercel most popular?
The single biggest year for Tercel was 1986, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tercel is about 37 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Tercel in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Tercel a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tercel in the SSA data are male. 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.
Is Tercel still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Tercel in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Tercel can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Tercel?
See how many people have the name Tercel on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.