Termain
A masculine given name derived from the French term "terre", denoting "land" or "earth".
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Termain. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Termain today is around 38 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Termain births was 1991 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Termain. 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 Termain. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
1991
6 babies that year
Average age
38
years old
1991 SSA rank
#8,143
Tracked since 1981
Popularity
Termain: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Termain from the 1980s through to the 1990s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 6 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
Termain 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 Termain 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 Termain
The given name Termain has its roots in the ancient Celtic language spoken across parts of Western Europe during the Iron Age. Its origins can be traced back to the Gaulish word "terma," which means "boundary" or "limit." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to children born in border regions or at the periphery of Celtic settlements.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Termain date back to the 5th century CE, when it appeared in various Celtic chronicles and genealogies. It was particularly prevalent among the Britons of what is now Wales and Cornwall. Some scholars believe that Termain may have been the name of a minor Celtic deity associated with boundaries or the protection of borders.
One of the most notable historical figures bearing the name Termain was a 6th-century Brythonic chieftain from the region of Dumnonia (modern-day Devon and Cornwall). He is mentioned in the medieval Welsh chronicle "Annales Cambriae" as leading a successful revolt against the invading Anglo-Saxons in the year 577 CE.
Another individual of note was Termain ap Rhodri, a Welsh prince who lived in the late 9th century. He was a descendant of the famous King Rhodri the Great and briefly ruled the Kingdom of Gwynedd before being deposed by his cousins.
In the 12th century, a Termain de Burgh was recorded as a Norman knight who participated in the conquest of Ireland under Strongbow. He was granted lands in County Wexford and became the progenitor of the de Burgh dynasty in Ireland.
During the 14th century, a Termain of Lydbury was a prominent English landowner and knight from Shropshire. He fought alongside Edward III in the Hundred Years' War and was present at the Battle of Crécy in 1346.
Finally, in the 16th century, a Termain Ó Máille was a noted Irish poet and historian from County Mayo. He composed several works in the Irish language, including a genealogy of the Ó Máille clan, which remains an important historical source.
While the name Termain fell out of widespread use after the medieval period, its linguistic roots and historical connections to Celtic culture and various notable figures throughout the centuries make it a fascinating example of an ancient European name.
People
Termain + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Termain 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
Termain: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Termain?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Termain 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Termain a common name?
We classify Termain as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Termain most popular?
The single biggest year for Termain was 1991, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Termain is about 38 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 Termain in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Termain a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Termain 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 Termain still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Termain 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 Termain 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 Termain?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.