Therrell
A masculine name of French origin meaning "from the earthen site".
Name Census estimates that about 1 living Americans carry the first name Therrell. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Therrell today is around 100 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Therrell births was 1935 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Therrell. 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 Therrell is about 100 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Therrells were born before 1936.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Therrell. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
1
~ 1 in 342,754,338 Americans
Peak year
1935
5 babies that year
Average age
100
years old
1935 SSA rank
#4,102
Tracked since 1935
Popularity
Therrell: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Therrell 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 Therrell during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Therrell
The given name Therrell is a relatively uncommon one, with its origins shrouded in mystery. It is believed to have derived from an ancient Germanic language spoken in parts of central and northern Europe during the early medieval period, around the 5th to 8th centuries CE.
Some scholars have suggested that Therrell may have its roots in the Old Norse word "þerrir," which means "to dry" or "to wither." This could indicate that the name was initially used to describe someone who lived in an arid or drought-prone region. However, this connection remains speculative, as there is no definitive evidence to support this theory.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Therrell can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, a collection of historical tales and folklore from the 13th and 14th centuries. In the Saga of Grettir the Strong, a minor character named Therrell is mentioned briefly as a farmer from the northern region of Iceland.
Throughout history, the name Therrell has been relatively uncommon, though a few notable individuals have borne this moniker. One of the earliest recorded was Therrell of Mercia, a minor nobleman who lived in the English Midlands during the 9th century CE. He is mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as having participated in the Battle of Ellendun against the invading Danish Vikings in 825 CE.
In the late 16th century, a Dutch sailor named Therrell van Rijswijk accompanied the explorer Willem Barents on his ill-fated expedition to the Arctic in search of the Northeast Passage. Van Rijswijk's detailed accounts of the voyage provided valuable insights into the challenges faced by early Arctic explorers.
Fast-forwarding to the 19th century, Therrell Bathurst was a British engineer and inventor credited with several innovations in textile machinery. He was born in 1817 and passed away in 1892.
Finally, in the 20th century, Therrell Smith was an American blues musician and songwriter from Mississippi, known for his work with artists like Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf. He lived from 1909 to 1964 and was an influential figure in the development of the Chicago blues scene.
While the name Therrell has never been particularly widespread, these examples showcase its enduring, if somewhat obscure, presence throughout various cultures and historical periods.
People
Therrell + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Therrell 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
Therrell: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Therrell?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Therrell 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 342,754,338 US residents.
Is Therrell a common name?
We classify Therrell as "Very Rare". It ranks above 3.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Therrell most popular?
The single biggest year for Therrell was 1935, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Therrell is about 100 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 Therrell in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Therrell a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Therrell in the SSA data are male. 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 Therrell still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Therrell 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 Therrell 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 have Therrell as a first name?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.