Terrylea
A feminine name composed of Terry, meaning "bright" and Lea, meaning "meadow".
Name Census estimates that about 4 living Americans carry the first name Terrylea. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Terrylea today is around 87 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Terrylea births was 1948 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Terrylea. 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
- • The typical person named Terrylea is about 87 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Terryleas were born before 1949.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Terrylea. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
4
~ 1 in 85,688,585 Americans
Peak year
1948
8 babies that year
Average age
87
years old
1948 SSA rank
#4,175
Tracked since 1948
Popularity
Terrylea: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Terrylea 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 Terrylea during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 0 | 8 | 8 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Terrylea
The name Terrylea is a relatively modern English name that appears to have originated in the late 19th or early 20th century. It is a combination of the more common names Terry and Lea, which have their own distinct origins.
Terry is derived from the French name Thierry, which itself comes from the Germanic name Theodoric, meaning "ruler of the people." The name Theodoric was popular among the Franks and other Germanic tribes during the Middle Ages. It is composed of the elements "theud" (people) and "ric" (ruler).
Lea, on the other hand, is a variant of the Hebrew name Leah, which means "weary" or "tired." In the Book of Genesis, Leah was the eldest daughter of Laban and the first wife of Jacob, the patriarch of the Israelites. The name Leah has been used in various forms across different cultures and languages over the centuries.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Terrylea are relatively sparse, but it seems to have gained some popularity in the early 20th century, particularly in English-speaking countries like the United States and the United Kingdom.
One notable individual with the name Terrylea was Terrylea Ann Graves (1927-2010), an American actress and singer who appeared in a number of films and television shows in the 1940s and 1950s. She was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and had a career in Hollywood during the golden age of cinema.
Another person named Terrylea was Terrylea Gaye Mandelbaum (1929-2014), an American artist and fashion designer known for her distinctive textile designs. She was born in New York City and had a successful career creating fabrics and clothing for various fashion houses and retailers.
In the literary world, Terrylea Cecelia Newirt (1925-2002) was an American author and poet who published several collections of poetry and short stories. She was born in Philadelphia and her works often explored themes of nature, relationships, and the human experience.
Terrylea Elaine Duffy (1938-2021) was a Canadian educator and activist who dedicated her life to promoting literacy and education for underprivileged communities. She was born in Toronto and worked tirelessly to establish programs and initiatives that helped children and adults develop their reading and writing skills.
Lastly, Terrylea Jane Moffitt (1941-2019) was a British artist and sculptor known for her abstract works in various media, including bronze, stone, and metal. She was born in London and had several exhibitions showcasing her unique artistic style and vision.
While the name Terrylea may not have a deep historical significance or appear in ancient texts, it represents a modern blending of traditional names from different cultural backgrounds, reflecting the diversity and creativity of contemporary naming practices.
People
Terrylea + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Terrylea 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
Terrylea: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Terrylea?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Terrylea 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 85,688,585 US residents.
Is Terrylea a common name?
We classify Terrylea as "Very Rare". It ranks above 6.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 8 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Terrylea most popular?
The single biggest year for Terrylea was 1948, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Terrylea is about 87 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 Terrylea in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Terrylea a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Terrylea 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 Terrylea still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Terrylea 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 Terrylea 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 people share the name Terrylea?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.