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Terence as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Terence

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The baby name Terence is a Boy name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced TERR-əns.

Terence is Irish, Latin in Origin.

Gender: Boy
Syllables: 2
Origin: Irish, Latin
Pronunciation: TERR-əns

What is the meaning of the name Terence ?

The baby name Terence is a boy name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced TERR-əns.

Terence is Irish, Latin in Origin.

Terence is the English form of Latin Terentius, a Roman nomen recorded in the Republican period. Terentius is built with the Latin gentilic suffix -ius, but the base Terent- has no secure interpretation; proposed links with terens, the present participle of terere, to rub or wear down, remain speculative. Its literal meaning is therefore best treated as unknown.

The name is anchored historically by Publius Terentius Afer, the second-century BCE comic playwright known in English as Terence, and by Marcus Terentius Varro. Early Christian saints helped keep forms of the name in ecclesiastical circulation. In Ireland, Terence also served as an Anglicization of Toirdhealbhach, a separate Gaelic name. English use rose mainly from the late nineteenth century, peaked modestly in the mid twentieth, and later ceded ground to Terrence and Terrance.

Terence has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Terence

Terence Hill Actor · Born 1939 · Italy Terence Hill is an Italian actor, director, screenwriter, and producer best known for his action-comedy films and his longtime partnership with Bud Spencer. He first worked as a child actor and became internationally famous through movies like They Call Me Trinity and Trinity Is Still My Name. Terence Stamp Actor · Born 1938 · United Kingdom Terence Stamp was a British actor best known for his sophisticated villain roles and acclaimed performances in films like The Collector, Superman, and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. He built a career that spanned both cult classics and major mainstream movies. Terence Bayler Actor · Born 1930 · New Zealand Terence Bayler was a New Zealand actor best known for his roles in Monty Python's Life of Brian and Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. He worked across film, television, and the stage during a long acting career.

Terence – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Boys 2025 #1 — 836
BW 0 #18 2 960
NA 0 #29 5 2,537
MT 0 #37 7 1,767
ID 0 #39 1 2,238
MO 0 #42 11 2,706
BI Boys 0 #44 1 917
CM 0 #52 5 2,592
CY 0 #60 1 1,632
JP 0 #77 1 4,057
CN 0 #79 8 3,857
TW 0 #100 4 4,523
QA 0 #106 1 7,011
PH 0 #107 4 5,607
SG 0 #112 178 11,010
OM 0 #120 2 6,215
KW 0 #121 1 5,216
SG Boys 0 #126 1,220 17,960
BW Boys 0 #127 23 4,685
HK Boys 0 #127 1,206 12,905
CY Boys 0 #130 2 3,473
BN Boys 0 #134 6 6,332
ID Boys 0 #135 1 4,130
MU 0 #136 2 3,613
MT Boys 0 #137 41 4,064
MO Boys 0 #144 81 5,842
HK 0 #162 226 8,483
CR 0 #165 1 5,526
NA Boys 0 #175 61 6,830
AE 0 #180 8 10,220
TW Boys 0 #184 58 7,111
DK 0 #206 1 5,198
LU Boys 0 #218 3 4,970
BG Boys 0 #220 1 3,850
NA Girls 0 #237 1 7,146
MY 0 #238 97 12,352
JM Boys 0 #247 26 6,876
AO Boys 0 #248 2 5,568
GH 0 #248 1 5,396
PT 0 #250 1 4,161
CN Boys 0 #262 59 9,639
ZA 0 #267 182 14,421
NG 0 #270 3 5,926
GR Boys 0 #273 1 6,912
KZ Boys 0 #296 1 6,578
Canada Boys 2024 #300 7 2,588
JP Boys 0 #300 4 7,909
AL Boys 0 #303 1 5,122
CZ Boys 0 #304 2 6,530
SA 0 #306 7 10,560
DK Boys 0 #332 1 7,401
PH Boys 0 #336 48 11,440
ZA Boys 0 #336 1,790 25,619
GH Girls 0 #337 1 6,973
CM Boys 0 #338 243 12,054
PL Boys 0 #340 1 6,459
QA Girls 0 #343 1 15,378
MU Boys 0 #345 13 8,477
France Boys 2021 #355 33 2,865
GH Boys 0 #355 7 8,138
BR 0 #360 1 5,969
NL 0 #375 17 2,481
PT Boys 0 #378 4 7,951
JO Boys 0 #389 1 7,057
EG 0 #412 1 6,387
MY Boys 0 #429 965 25,439
PH Girls 0 #429 1 13,098
SD Boys 0 #466 1 10,523
CR Boys 0 #472 16 10,188
AR Boys 0 #483 1 7,628
PA Boys 0 #504 2 9,305
CM Girls 0 #515 26 11,671
RU Boys 0 #526 1 12,621
BH 0 #542 12 17,937
KW Girls 0 #559 3 19,177
LY 0 #559 1 12,703
PS Boys 0 #560 2 10,655
IR Boys 0 #563 3 10,162
AE Girls 0 #597 1 20,968
BD Boys 0 #602 4 10,045
HK Girls 0 #604 12 16,104
BO Boys 0 #622 1 9,244
IL Boys 0 #622 4 10,983
SG Girls 0 #627 6 18,916
Finland Boys 2026 #668 15 3,552
QA Boys 0 #679 29 18,093
NL Boys 0 #688 269 5,873
LB 0 #690 1 13,263
CL Boys 0 #694 7 13,390
IQ Boys 0 #696 2 13,071
IT 0 #697 18 4,183
KW Boys 0 #759 11 18,755
BR Boys 0 #779 7 12,213
NG Girls 0 #824 3 15,093
United States Boys 2024 #850 43 7,044
OM Boys 0 #854 28 17,948
TN 0 #865 1 13,765
Germany Boys 0 #886 67 5,697
Spain Boys 0 #901 30 5,610
NG Boys 0 #902 50 16,906
PE Boys 0 #923 4 14,506
CO Boys 0 #979 3 15,656
IN Boys 0 #984 18 16,750
PE Girls 0 #1,010 1 14,861
SA Girls 0 #1,011 4 25,931
AE Boys 0 #1,020 73 22,615
MX Boys 0 #1,031 3 16,355
MY Girls 0 #1,065 8 24,821
ZA Girls 0 #1,120 22 25,928
IT Boys 0 #1,124 350 10,046
CO Girls 0 #1,151 2 16,140
MA 0 #1,196 4 20,986
DZ 0 #1,234 1 20,130
TR 0 #1,248 7 19,440
SA Boys 0 #1,566 49 28,008

Terence is popular in 70 countries — most recent births per country:

Ireland
France
Canada
Scotland, United Kingdom
United States

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Terence

Terence is a unisex name, given to both boys and girls.
Terence is a 2 syllable name, pronounced TERR-əns.
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Terentius, Terrence, Terrance, Térence, Terencio and Terenzio.
Yes, very popular — Terence ranked #1 in Ireland in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 7 countries.
Terence ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2025).
Yes — 3 notable people named Terence are in our database, including Terence Hill (Actor), Terence Stamp (Actor), Terence Bayler (Actor).