Terry
TEH-ree
Diminutive of Terence or Thierry, English
"soft; thresher; ruler of the people"Share
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Terry Origin and Meaning
The name Terry is a boy's name of Latin origin meaning "soft; thresher; ruler of the people".
One of the first breakaway unisex baby names, Terry, used independently since the days of Terry and the Pirates. Popular in the mid-20th-century, it has fallen out of favor in recent years, replaced by Tommy, Sonny, and Ozzy.
Terry emerged as a diminutive of Terence which derived from a Roman family name of uncertain meaning. Possibilities however include "soft" or "one who threshes". Alternatively, it could be an English contraction of the French Thierry, a variation on Theodoric, meaning "ruler of the people".
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Terry Popularity
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Famous People Named Terry
- Terry Paxton BradshawAmerican NFL player and actor
- Terence "Terry" PratchettEnglish novelist
- Terence Richard "Terry" McAuliffeAmerican politician; 72nd Governor of Virginia
- Terry KiserAmerican actor
- Terry Gene Bollea aka Hulk HoganAmerican pro wrestler
- Terrence "Terry" FunkAmerican pro wrestler
- Terence Graham Parry "Terry" JonesWelsh actor and comedian
- Michael Terence "Terry" WoganEnglish radio presenter
- Terence Frederick "Terry" VenablesEnglish footballer
- Terence Dean "Terry" BrooksAmerican novelist
- Terrence Jon "Terry" FranconaAmerican baseball manager
- Terry GoodkindAmerican novelist
- Terry ZwigoffAmerican filmmaker
- Terence Charles "Terry" YorathWelsh footballer
- TerryThomas (born Thomas Terry Hoar Stevens), English actor
- Terry ChenCanadian actor
- Terry Wayne FatorAmerican ventriloquist of"America's Got Talent"
- Terence "Terry" ChristianTV and radio presenter
- Terrence "Terry" SweeneyAmerican actor and comedian
- Terrence "Terry" RichardsonAmerican photographer
- Terrence Vance "Terry" GilliamAmerican,born British actor and comedian
- Terrance Stanley "Terry" FoxCanadian athlete, humanitarian, activist
- Terry Alan CrewsAmerican actor and football player
- Terry O'Quinn (born Terrance Quinn)American actor
Terry in Pop Culture
- Terry Malloymain character in film "On the Waterfront"
- Terrence "Terry" McGinnis aka Batmanmain character in animated series "Batman Beyond"
- Terrycharacter in animated series "Aqua Teen Hunger Force"
- Terry Bernadinocharacter on TV's "Reno 911!"
- Terry Bogardcharacter in video games Fatal Fury and King of Fighters
- Terry Bootminor character in the "Harry Potter" series
- Terence Daniel "Terry" Colliercharacter in "The Likely Lads" series
- Terry Kimplea character on TV's "The Cleveland Show"
- Terry Leemain character in comic strip Terry and the Pirates
- Terry McCanncharacter on TV series "Minder"
- Terry McScottya main character in anime "Battle B,Daman"
- Terry Bellefleurcharacter on TV's "True Blood"
- Terry Fawlescharacter in video game "Ace Attorney"
- Terry JeffordsTerry Crews' loveable character in TV series Brooklyn Nine Nine