Teryl
Feminine
Teryl is given to both — 779 girls and 263 boys since 1880. See other names given to both
Teryl is recorded for boys and girls alike and has three possible parents, none of them documented. Its opening syllable is shared with a word that describes a whole group of dogs by what they do rather than what they look like.
How old is the name Teryl?
Teryl first appears in US birth records in 1939 — 86 years ago. The typical Teryl alive today was born around 1958, making them about 67 years old. About 700 people named Teryl are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Teryl most popular?
Teryl peaked in 1945, reaching #1543 nationally. See the whole 1945 chart.
Where it comes from
Origin, sound and short forms
Our story of Teryl
A terrier is an earth dog. The word comes through French from the Latin terra, ground, and it names the job: going into a burrow after whatever is in it. Everything else about the breeds follows from that requirement. They are small enough to get down a hole, built with enough chest to reverse out of one, loud enough to be located underground, and obstinate past the point of sense, because a dog that gave up at the first bite would be no use. Terrier owners describe these qualities in the tone people use for a difficult relative. The dogs were bred for a specific piece of work that almost none of them now do, and the temperament has not noticed.
Meaningnot established
Not established
Cheryl, Terrell and Terry have all been offered and none has been shown. The record holds this spelling for both sexes, which is usual for names built out of free pieces.
Pronouncing Teryl
TAIR-ul
Two syllables with the stress in front. teh-RIL, with the weight on the second, is also heard.
Nicknames for Teryl
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
- 1939
- Most girls named
- 195635 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #1543reached in 1945
- Change vs 1992
- 0.0%5 in 1993, from 5
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.
Teryls among us
people named Teryl 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
Teryl 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
- Terry is available as a short form and works for a child of either sex.
- It is short, quick to write and easy to learn to spell.
- It is recorded for boys and for girls, so it leaves a question open rather than closing it.
- Most children with this spelling are girls, but a real minority are boys; either may be taken for the other.
- Terrill, Teryll and Cheryl are all close enough to be confused with it.
- No origin is documented, so the meaning question has three candidates and no answer.
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Teryl
Feminine
Frequently asked
- How many Teryls are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 700 people named Teryl are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Teryl in 2025?
- Teryl is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 girl names.
- Will my child share the name Teryl with classmates?
- Teryl 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 Teryl? See the current top 100.
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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