Terre
A feminine French name meaning "earth" or "land".
Name Census estimates that about 704 living Americans carry the first name Terre. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 89.4% of registrations being female. The average person named Terre today is around 64 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Terre births was 1956 (60 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Terre. 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.
People living today
704
~ 1 in 486,867 Americans
Peak year
1956
60 babies that year
Average age
64
years old
1997 SSA rank
#8,026
Tracked since 1942
Gender
Gender distribution for Terre
Terre leans heavily female at 89.4% of total registrations, but 99 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Terre as a male name
- Ranked #8,026 in 1997
- 7 male births in 1997
- Peak: 1955 (10 births)
Terre as a female name
- Ranked #15,405 in 1992
- 5 female births in 1992
- Peak: 1956 (55 births)
Popularity
Terre: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Terre from the 1940s through to the 1990s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 393 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Terre 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 Terre during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Terres live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. California, Texas, Pennsylvania recorded the most babies named Terre, while Missouri, Michigan, Pennsylvania recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 17 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Terre
The name Terre originates from the French word "terre," which means "earth" or "land." It is a feminine name that has been used in various French-speaking regions for centuries.
The earliest recorded use of the name Terre dates back to the Middle Ages, when it was sometimes given to children born in rural areas or to those with a strong connection to the land. In some cases, the name may have been inspired by the French word "terrien," which means "earthly" or "down-to-earth."
One of the earliest known historical figures with the name Terre was Terre Deschamps, a French noblewoman who lived in the 14th century. She was a prominent figure in the court of King Charles V of France and was known for her patronage of the arts.
Another notable Terre from history was Terre de Beaumanoir, a French military leader who fought in the Hundred Years' War against the English in the 15th century. He is best remembered for his heroic defense of the town of Rennes in 1356.
In the 16th century, Terre de Bourges was a French poet and writer who is credited with helping to establish the French Renaissance literary movement. Her works were widely read and admired during her lifetime.
A more recent historical figure with the name Terre was Terre Roubaix, a French artist and sculptor who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She was known for her innovative use of materials and her abstract sculptures, which were highly influential in the development of modern art.
Finally, Terre Blanche was a French singer and actress who rose to prominence in the 1930s and 1940s. She was known for her sultry voice and her performances in several popular French films of the time.
While the name Terre has its roots in the French language, it has been adopted in various other cultures and regions over the centuries, often with slight variations in spelling or pronunciation. Regardless of its origins, the name Terre has a strong connection to the earth and the natural world, making it a unique and evocative choice for parents seeking a name with a deep historical and cultural significance.
People
Terre + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Terre 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
Terre: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Terre?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 704 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Terre 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 486,867 US residents.
Is Terre a common name?
We classify Terre as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 937 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Terre most popular?
The single biggest year for Terre was 1956, when 60 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Terre is about 64 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Terre a female name?
Yes, 89.4% of people registered as Terre 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.