Terry is a distinctive choice, ranked #2264 in 2024. Your child is likely to be the only Terry in their class.
💎
UK Rank 2024
#2264
US Rank #975
About the Name Terry
Terry has seen a notable decline in recent years, dropping 1114 places in five years. It was most popular in 1997 at #301 — parents choosing it today are making a deliberately counter-trend decision. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Terry is distinctive enough that your child will likely be the only one in both their class and their school — standing out on every register.
In the US it ranks even higher at #975, where it enjoys a particularly strong following.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Terry
Unlikely. With around 10 UK babies named Terry per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Terry in his class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Terry has been declining in UK popularity, dropping 1114 places in the last five years. Its peak was #301 in 1997. Choosing it now means he is likely to be among the last of his generation with this name.
Terry is more popular in the US (#975) than in the UK (#2264). Names with strong rankings in both countries tend to have broad cross-cultural appeal, working well for international families or those with ties to both nations.
Notable people named Terry include: Terry Gross — Terry Gross is an American journalist who is the host and co-executive producer of Fresh Air, an interview-based radio show produced by WHYY-FM in Philadelphia...; Michael Grant Terry — Michael Grant Terry is an American actor, known for his recurring role as Wendell Bray on the Fox series Bones.; Todd Terry — Todd Norton Terry is an American DJ, record producer and remixer in the genre of house music..
Terry does not appear in the US top 1,000 baby names, making it a distinctively British choice — your child is unlikely to encounter American Terrys in the wild.
10
UK babies named Terry (2024)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↓ 1114 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Terry
Likely around 1 other Terry in the class
UK Popularity (1996–2024)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2022)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Terry
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Terrance Stanley Fox was a Canadian athlete, humanitarian, and cancer research activist. In 1980, having had one leg amputated due to cancer, he embarked on a cross-Canada run to raise money and awareness for cancer research.
Terry Gross is an American journalist who is the host and co-executive producer of Fresh Air, an interview-based radio show produced by WHYY-FM in Philadelphia and distributed nationally by NPR. Since joining NPR in 1975, Gross has interviewed thousands of guests.
Todd Norton Terry is an American DJ, record producer and remixer in the genre of house music. His productions helped define the New York house scene in the 1990s and used extensive samples that blend the sounds of classic disco, the Chicago house sound, and elements of hip-hop.
Saunders Terrell, known as Sonny Terry, was an American Piedmont blues and folk musician, who was known for his energetic blues harmonica style, which frequently included vocal whoops and hollers and occasionally imitations of trains and fox hunts.
Terry Alan Kath was an American guitarist and singer who is best known as a founding member of the rock band Chicago. He played lead guitar and sang lead vocals on many of the band's early hit singles alongside Robert Lamm and Peter Cetera.
Terry Kinney is an American actor, theater director, and founding member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, with Gary Sinise and Jeff Perry. Kinney is best known for his role as Tim McManus on HBO's prison drama Oz.