Terrell
A masculine name meaning "wanderer" or "one who travels" in Old French.
Name Census estimates that about 34,012 living Americans carry the first name Terrell. It is a predominantly male name (95.8% of registrations). The average person named Terrell today is around 38 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Terrell births was 1989 (1,004 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Terrell. 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
- • Although Terrell is used almost entirely for boys, the SSA data does show 1,585 girls registered with the name since 1880.
People living today
34K
~ 1 in 10,077 Americans
Peak year
1989
1,004 babies that year
Average age
38
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,495
Tracked since 1885
Gender
Gender distribution for Terrell
Terrell leans heavily male at 95.8% of total registrations, but 1,585 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Terrell as a male name
- Ranked #1,495 in 2024
- 120 male births in 2024
- Peak: 1989 (983 births)
Terrell as a female name
- Ranked #17,316 in 2008
- 6 female births in 2008
- Peak: 1970 (63 births)
Popularity
Terrell: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Terrell from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 8,169 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Terrell 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 Terrell during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Terrells live
The SSA's state-level files cover 40 states and territories. Illinois, Georgia, New York recorded the most babies named Terrell, while Montana, Iowa, Oregon recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 816 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Terrell
The name Terrell is derived from the Old French word "terrier," which means "landowner" or "farmer." It is closely related to the French word "terre," meaning "earth" or "land." This name originated in the 12th century in France, particularly in the northern regions.
During the Middle Ages, the name Terrell was commonly used to refer to landowners or farmers who worked the land. It was a surname that identified one's occupation or social status. Over time, it transitioned into a given name, particularly in English-speaking countries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Terrell can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and property in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This historical record includes several references to individuals with the surname Terrell or similar spellings.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named Terrell de Vere was a prominent English nobleman and military commander during the Barons' War against King Henry III. He played a significant role in the events leading up to the signing of the Provisions of Oxford in 1258.
Another historical figure bearing the name Terrell was Terrell the Scribe, a 14th-century English calligrapher and illuminator known for his work on religious manuscripts and documents. His intricate and beautifully decorated works can be found in various collections across Europe.
In the 16th century, Terrell Garrett was an English explorer and navigator who accompanied Sir Walter Raleigh on several expeditions to the Americas. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Roanoke Colony in present-day North Carolina.
During the 17th century, Terrell Parke was a renowned English architect who designed several notable buildings, including the iconic St. Paul's Cathedral in London. His architectural style influenced the development of the English Baroque movement.
In the 19th century, Terrell Edmunds was an African-American abolitionist and civil rights activist who fought against slavery and advocated for equal rights for Black Americans. He was a prominent figure in the Underground Railroad movement, helping countless enslaved individuals escape to freedom.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Terrell
People
Terrell + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Terrell 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
Terrell: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Terrell?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 34,012 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Terrell 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 10,077 US residents.
Is Terrell a common name?
We classify Terrell as "Uncommon". It ranks above 98.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 37,969 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Terrell most popular?
The single biggest year for Terrell was 1989, when 1,004 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Terrell is about 38 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Terrell a male name?
Yes, 95.8% of people registered as Terrell 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.
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.