Terrisa
A feminine name derived from the Latin "terra" meaning "earth".
Name Census estimates that about 242 living Americans carry the first name Terrisa. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Terrisa today is around 56 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Terrisa births was 1963 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Terrisa. 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
242
~ 1 in 1,416,340 Americans
Peak year
1963
14 babies that year
Average age
56
years old
2007 SSA rank
#17,461
Tracked since 1953
Census
Terrisa in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 384 people with the first name Terrisa, which placed it at #24,893 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#24,893
National first-name rank
People counted
384
384 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
62.0% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Terrisa
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Terrisa is White at 62.0%. The next largest groups are Black (17.4%) and Hispanic (9.4%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Terrisa described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Terrisa at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White62.0% · 238
- Black or African American17.4% · 67
- Hispanic or Latino9.4% · 36
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.7% · 18
- Two or more races4.7% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 7
Popularity
Terrisa: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Terrisa from the 1950s through to the 2000s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 106 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
Terrisa 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 Terrisa during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Terrisas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Terrisa
The name Terrisa is believed to have originated from the Latin language, derived from the word "terra," which means "earth" or "land." This connection to the natural world suggests that the name may have been initially given to individuals with a deep appreciation for the environment or those who worked closely with the land, such as farmers or agriculturalists.
The earliest recorded use of the name Terrisa can be traced back to the Middle Ages, particularly in regions of Europe where Latin was widely spoken and understood. During this period, names with Latin roots were commonly bestowed upon children, reflecting the cultural and linguistic influences of the time.
One of the earliest documented references to the name Terrisa can be found in a medieval manuscript from the 12th century, which mentions a woman by that name who was known for her skill in gardening and herbalism. This early association with the cultivation of plants and natural remedies further reinforces the name's connection to the earth.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Terrisa. One such person was Terrisa of Verona, a 14th-century Italian artist renowned for her intricate illuminated manuscripts and beautifully illustrated religious texts. Her works are considered masterpieces of the Gothic art style and are preserved in various museums and libraries across Europe.
In the 16th century, a woman named Terrisa de la Vega was a prominent figure in the Spanish court, serving as a lady-in-waiting to Queen Isabella of Castile. Historical records indicate that she was highly regarded for her wisdom and diplomacy, playing a crucial role in mediating conflicts and fostering peace between rival factions.
Another notable Terrisa was Terrisa Beaumont, a 17th-century French philosopher and writer who challenged the prevailing misogynistic attitudes of her time. Her influential works explored themes of gender equality, education for women, and the pursuit of intellectual endeavors. Beaumont's writings were instrumental in paving the way for future feminist thinkers.
In the realm of science, Terrisa Curie, a 19th-century Polish physicist and chemist, made significant contributions to the study of radioactivity. She was the first woman to be awarded a Nobel Prize and is celebrated for her groundbreaking research on radioactive elements, which laid the foundation for numerous advancements in modern science.
Lastly, Terrisa Evers, an American environmental activist and conservationist born in the early 20th century, dedicated her life to protecting natural habitats and raising awareness about the importance of sustainability. Her tireless efforts played a crucial role in establishing several national parks and preserving numerous endangered species.
While the name Terrisa has ancient roots and a rich history spanning various cultures and eras, its enduring connection to the earth and the natural world remains a defining characteristic, imbuing it with a sense of reverence for the environment and a deep appreciation for the beauty and bounty of nature.
People
Terrisa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Terrisa 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
Terrisa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Terrisa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 242 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Terrisa 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 1,416,340 US residents.
Is Terrisa a common name?
We classify Terrisa as "Very Rare". It ranks above 76.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 287 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Terrisa most popular?
The single biggest year for Terrisa was 1963, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Terrisa is about 56 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Terrisa in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 384 people with the name Terrisa, or 0.13 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #24,893 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Terrisa in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Terrisa?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Terrisa appears almost entirely female. Of the 376 people counted with this name, 100.0% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Terrisa?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Terrisa is White at 62.0%. The next largest groups are Black (17.4%) and Hispanic (9.4%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Terrisa most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Terrisa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.0% (238 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Terrisa in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Terrisa a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Terrisa 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 Terrisa still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Terrisa 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 Terrisa 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.
How common is the name Terrisa?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.