NameRealm
Terri

Terri: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning
“people ruler”
Origin
English
Say it
TAIR-ee · 2 syllables
Used for
Girls

Usually a diminutive or variant spelling of Terry/Teri, used for Teresa or names beginning with Ter-, but also from Terence in some cases. As a standalone given name, its etymology varies by source name. The origin of this name is not settled among etymologists.

English namesAmerican namesNames meaning royaltyShort namesModern names

How popular is Terri?

20247.8 per million US babies
1880192019602000
Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Babies named Terri in 202426

Peak year1959

Total US babies since 1880147,009

Terri is steady now but far below its 1959 peak.

Names like Terri

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

  • Terryruler of the people · English
  • Terito harvest · Greek
  • Terrieruler of the people · English
  • Oliviaolive tree · English
  • Evelyndesired; little bird · English
  • Harperharp player · English
  • Averyruler of elves · English
  • Violetviolet flower · English

Terri questions

What does the name Terri mean?

Terri means "people ruler". It comes from English. Usually a diminutive or variant spelling of Terry/Teri, used for Teresa or names beginning with Ter-, but also from Terence in some cases. As a standalone given name, its etymology varies by source name.

Is Terri a boy or girl name?

Terri is mainly a girl's name in US records (99% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Terri?

26 US babies were named Terri in 2024. Its peak year was 1959.

How do you pronounce Terri?

Terri is usually pronounced TAIR-ee.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.