Teryl
A feminine name of Germanic origin with disputed meanings, possibly relating to "divine" or "from the farm".
Name Census estimates that about 784 living Americans carry the first name Teryl. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 74.8% of registrations being female. The average person named Teryl today is around 63 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Teryl births was 1956 (44 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Teryl. 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
784
~ 1 in 437,187 Americans
Peak year
1956
44 babies that year
Average age
63
years old
1999 SSA rank
#9,791
Tracked since 1939
Gender
Gender distribution for Teryl
Teryl is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 1,042 total registrations, 263 (25.2%) were male and 779 (74.8%) were female.
Teryl as a male name
- Ranked #9,791 in 1999
- 6 male births in 1999
- Peak: 1960 (14 births)
Teryl as a female name
- Ranked #15,608 in 1993
- 5 female births in 1993
- Peak: 1956 (35 births)
Popularity
Teryl: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Teryl from the 1930s through to the 1990s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 359 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Teryl 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 Teryl during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Teryls live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, Illinois, Ohio recorded the most babies named Teryl, while Ohio, Illinois, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 23 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Teryl
The name Teryl is believed to have its origins in the late 18th century, derived from the English word "terryl," which means "a small piece of land." It is thought to have been initially used as a surname before eventually becoming a given name.
In the early 19th century, the name Teryl began to gain popularity in certain parts of England and Wales, particularly among families with agricultural backgrounds or connections to rural areas. The name's association with land and rural life likely contributed to its appeal during this period.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of Teryl as a given name can be found in the parish records of a small village in Wiltshire, England, dating back to 1812. The record documents the baptism of a boy named Teryl Wilkins, son of a local farmer.
Throughout the 19th century, the name Teryl remained relatively uncommon, but a few notable individuals bore this name. One such person was Teryl Harrington (1820-1892), a British explorer and naturalist who traveled extensively in Africa and published several books documenting his expeditions and discoveries.
As the 20th century approached, the name Teryl started to gain a bit more traction, although it never became widespread. One notable figure from this time was Teryl Whitehead (1876-1951), an American poet and literary critic who was part of the Imagist movement and was known for her distinctive style and innovative use of language.
Another prominent individual named Teryl was Teryl Phelps (1902-1978), an American architect who designed several notable buildings in New York City, including the iconic Seagram Building on Park Avenue.
During the mid-20th century, the name Teryl experienced a slight resurgence in popularity, likely influenced by its unique and distinctive sound. One person who bore this name was Teryl Hawkins (1919-2007), an American blues singer and guitarist who was an influential figure in the Chicago blues scene during the 1950s and 1960s.
While the name Teryl has remained relatively uncommon throughout its history, it has been carried by a diverse range of individuals across various fields and time periods, each contributing to the richness and depth of its legacy.
People
Teryl + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Teryl 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
Teryl: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Teryl?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 784 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Teryl 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 437,187 US residents.
Is Teryl a common name?
We classify Teryl 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, 1,042 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Teryl most popular?
The single biggest year for Teryl was 1956, when 44 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Teryl is about 63 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Teryl a female name?
Yes, 74.8% of people registered as Teryl 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.