Terryn
A name of Celtic origin meaning "from the territory or lands".
Name Census estimates that about 783 living Americans carry the first name Terryn. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 73.3% of registrations being female. The average person named Terryn today is around 22 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Terryn births was 2012 (44 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Terryn. 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
783
~ 1 in 437,745 Americans
Peak year
2012
44 babies that year
Average age
22
years old
2021 SSA rank
#13,299
Tracked since 1958
Gender
Gender distribution for Terryn
Terryn is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 801 total registrations, 214 (26.7%) were male and 587 (73.3%) were female.
Terryn as a male name
- Ranked #13,864 in 2021
- 5 male births in 2021
- Peak: 2012 (20 births)
Terryn as a female name
- Ranked #13,299 in 2024
- 7 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2012 (24 births)
Popularity
Terryn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Terryn from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 244 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Terryn 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 Terryn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Terryns live
Origin
Meaning and history of Terryn
The name Terryn is believed to have originated from the Old English language, with roots dating back to the 5th century AD. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "terran," which means "to tear" or "to rend." This suggests that the name may have been associated with strength, power, or even a warrior-like spirit.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Terryn can be found in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a historical record that covers the period from the late 9th century to the 12th century. In this text, a nobleman named Terryn is mentioned as having participated in a battle against Danish invaders in the year 878 AD.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Terryn was primarily used in England and parts of Scotland. It was particularly popular among the nobility and upper classes, with several notable figures bearing the name. One such individual was Sir Terryn de Montfort, a knight who fought alongside King Edward I during the Welsh Wars in the late 13th century.
During the Renaissance period, the name Terryn gained some popularity in other parts of Europe, particularly in France and the Low Countries. One notable bearer of the name was Terryn van der Weyden, a Flemish painter who lived in the 15th century and was renowned for his religious works.
In the 17th century, the name Terryn appeared in various literary works, including plays and poems. One notable example is the character of Terryn in the play "The Alchemist" by Ben Jonson, which was first performed in 1610.
Another significant figure with the name Terryn was Terryn Paine, an American philosopher and political theorist who played a crucial role in the American Revolution. Born in 1737, Paine authored the influential pamphlet "Common Sense," which advocated for American independence from British rule.
As time progressed, the name Terryn remained relatively uncommon, but it continued to be used in various parts of the English-speaking world. One notable bearer of the name in more recent history was Terryn Leavitt, an American artist and illustrator known for his work in children's books, who lived from 1894 to 1967.
People
Terryn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Terryn 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
Terryn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Terryn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 783 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Terryn 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 437,745 US residents.
Is Terryn a common name?
We classify Terryn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 801 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Terryn most popular?
The single biggest year for Terryn was 2012, when 44 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Terryn is about 22 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Terryn a female name?
Yes, 73.3% of people registered as Terryn 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.