Tereas
A feminine name derived from the Greek word "therapeuo" meaning "to nurture, care for".
Name Census estimates that about 17 living Americans carry the first name Tereas. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Tereas today is around 58 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tereas births was 1961 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tereas. 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 Tereas. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
17
~ 1 in 20,162,020 Americans
Peak year
1961
5 babies that year
Average age
58
years old
1971 SSA rank
#9,510
Tracked since 1961
Popularity
Tereas: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tereas from the 1960s through to the 1970s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 10 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Tereas 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 Tereas during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Tereas
The name Tereas is believed to have its origins in ancient Greece, deriving from the Greek word "teras," which means "wonder" or "marvel." This name was likely bestowed upon individuals who were seen as remarkable or extraordinary in some way.
In Greek mythology, Teras was the name of a sea monster, a hybrid creature with the head of a lion, the body of a serpent, and wings like a bird. This mythological figure was often depicted as a guardian or protector of the sea, and its name may have been associated with awe and wonder.
The earliest recorded use of the name Tereas can be traced back to the 5th century BC, when it was mentioned in various Greek texts and historical records. One notable figure from this period was Tereas of Lemnos, a Greek sculptor who was renowned for his intricate and lifelike statues.
During the Byzantine era, which spanned from the 4th to the 15th century AD, the name Tereas gained popularity among Greek Christians. It was often used as a derivative of the name Theodoros, which means "gift of God."
In the 12th century, a notable individual named Tereas Komnenos was a Byzantine nobleman and military commander. He played a significant role in the defense of Constantinople during the siege of the city by the Seljuk Turks in 1148.
Another historical figure bearing the name Tereas was a Greek scholar and philosopher who lived in the 16th century. He was known for his writings on logic and metaphysics, and his works were widely studied throughout the Renaissance period.
In the 18th century, a Greek poet named Tereas Kolokotronis gained recognition for his patriotic verses that inspired the Greek War of Independence against Ottoman rule. His poems were widely circulated and became rallying cries for the Greek revolution.
While the name Tereas is not as common today as it once was, it still holds a significant place in Greek history and culture, representing a sense of wonder, awe, and remarkable achievement.
People
Tereas + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tereas 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
Tereas: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tereas?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 17 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tereas 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 20,162,020 US residents.
Is Tereas a common name?
We classify Tereas as "Very Rare". It ranks above 37.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 20 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tereas most popular?
The single biggest year for Tereas was 1961, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tereas is about 58 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 Tereas in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Tereas a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tereas 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.
Is Tereas still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Tereas 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 Tereas 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 people share the name Tereas?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.