Terrilynn
A feminine name combining the English elements "terre" (earth) and "lynn" (small lake).
Name Census estimates that about 357 living Americans carry the first name Terrilynn. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Terrilynn today is around 55 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Terrilynn births was 1961 (24 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Terrilynn. 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
357
~ 1 in 960,096 Americans
Peak year
1961
24 babies that year
Average age
55
years old
2019 SSA rank
#17,728
Tracked since 1946
Popularity
Terrilynn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Terrilynn from the 1940s through to the 2010s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 164 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Terrilynn 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 Terrilynn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Terrilynns live
Origin
Meaning and history of Terrilynn
The name Terrilynn is a modern composite name that combines the English name Terri with the suffix -lynn, which has its origins in the old Celtic language of Brittonic. The name Terri itself is a shortened form of the feminine name Theresa, derived from the Greek Theresia, meaning "harvester."
The suffix -lynn is believed to have originated from the Welsh word "llyn," meaning "lake" or "pool." It was commonly used as a suffix in names in various Celtic cultures, such as the Scottish Gaelic name Evelynn or the Irish name Caitlynn. The combination of Terri and -lynn creates a name that blends English and Celtic influences.
While there are no known historical references to the specific name Terrilynn in ancient texts or religious scriptures, the name's components have their own rich histories. The name Theresa has been borne by several notable figures throughout history, including St. Theresa of Avila (1515-1582), a Spanish mystic and reformer of the Carmelite Order.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Terrilynn can be traced back to the late 20th century in the United States. However, it is important to note that due to the composite nature of the name, it may have been used sporadically before gaining wider popularity.
Several notable individuals have borne the name Terrilynn throughout history:
1. Terrilynn Daye (born 1961), an American former professional basketball player who played in the Women's Professional Basketball League (WBL) and the American Basketball Association (ABA).
2. Terrilynn Monette (born 1985), an American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 2016 to 2020.
3. Terrilynn Lyn (born 1966), an American actress and model best known for her role in the 1980s television series "The Jeffersons."
4. Terrilynn St. John (born 1954), an American actress and singer who appeared in several television shows and films in the 1970s and 1980s.
5. Terrilynn Shavlik (born 1955), an American former professional tennis player who reached a career-high ranking of No. 15 in the world in 1977.
While the name Terrilynn is a relatively modern creation, its components have deep roots in various cultures, reflecting the diverse influences that have shaped the English language and naming traditions over time.
People
Terrilynn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Terrilynn 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
Terrilynn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Terrilynn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 357 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Terrilynn 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 960,096 US residents.
Is Terrilynn a common name?
We classify Terrilynn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 81.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 424 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Terrilynn most popular?
The single biggest year for Terrilynn was 1961, when 24 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Terrilynn is about 55 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Terrilynn a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Terrilynn 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.