Terrence is a boy name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Terrence means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Terrence across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Terrence has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Terrence is a boy name of Latin origin meaning “smooth, tender”. From the Roman family name Terentius.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 72,939 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 247 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 6 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 6 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Terrence per year, United States (1886 to 2025). United States peaked in 1955 (1,508/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2010 (19/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1990 (3/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1981 (3/yr).
Terrence has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1955, when it ranked #388 nationally (given to 1,508 babies that year).
Terrance · Terence · Torrance · Torrence · Trenace · Terance · Trenyce · Dorrance
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