Terena
Feminine
Terena is a three-syllable name with a soft middle, close to Teresa and Irena. The same word is the name of an Indigenous people of Brazil.
How old is the name Terena?
Terena first appears in US birth records in 1953 — 72 years ago. The typical Terena alive today was born around 1970, making them about 55 years old. About 500 people named Terena are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Terena most popular?
Terena peaked in 1969, reaching #2102 nationally. See the whole 1969 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
Origin, sound and short forms
Our story of Terena
In the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, in southwestern Brazil, the Terena are one of the country's larger Indigenous peoples, speakers of an Arawakan language who have farmed the region for centuries and fought hard to keep their lands. An American Terena has no link to them; the name most likely came from the sound of Teresa and Irena. But the word carries a people's name, and a name that is also a homeland is a serious and beautiful thing to carry.
Meaningnot established
Not established
No source records the origin of Terena as an American name. It may be a reshaping of Teresa or Irena, and no record says which.
Pronouncing Terena
tuh-REE-nuh
Stress on the middle syllable.
Nicknames for Terena
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1953
- Most girls named
- 196936 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #2102reached in 1969
- Change vs 1999
- −16.7%5 in 2000, from 6
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Terenas among us
people named Terena are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Terena sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- It is easy to say once heard.
- Terri and Rena give two short forms.
- People will write Teresa, Terina or Tereena.
- There is no recorded meaning to give when someone asks.
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Terena
Feminine
Frequently asked
- How many Terenas are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 500 people named Terena are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Terena in 2025?
- Terena is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 girl names.
- Will my child share the name Terena with classmates?
- Terena will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More T names
The most-given names starting with T, all years combined.
Teresa#908 · Theresa#1548 · Tiffany#878 · Tammy#3645 · Taylor#403 · Tina#2778 · Tracy#2153 · Thelma#4661
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Terena? See the current top 100.
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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