UK boy's name
Terrel
Old French form of the earth god Terén.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2011. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Terrel is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Terrel popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2011 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4647, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2008, with 8 births.
This profile covers 64 England and Wales registrations across 13 recorded years from 1996 to 2011. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 38% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 63 living people in the UK are called Terrel. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2012 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Terrel ranked #4647 for boys in England and Wales in 2011, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2008, when 8 boys were registered as Terrel.
- • About 63 living people in the UK are estimated to have Terrel as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4647
2011
Births in 2011
3
Latest year
Peak year
2008
8 births
Estimated living
63
2026
Meaning
What does Terrel mean?
The name Terrel is believed to have originated from the Old French word "terrail," which means "earth" or "land." This name likely came into existence during the medieval period in regions where Old French was spoken, such as parts of modern-day France, Belgium, and Switzerland.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Terrel can be found in the 12th century French epic poem "La Chanson de Roland," where a character named Terrel is mentioned. This suggests that the name was in use among French speakers during that time period.
Terrel was also the name of a 13th-century French nobleman, Terrel de Marigny, who served as the Lord Chamberlain of France under King Philip IV. His birth and death years are not precisely known, but he lived during the late 13th and early 14th centuries.
In the 16th century, there was a French Protestant reformer named Terrel de Bèze, who was born in 1519 and died in 1605. He was a prominent figure in the Protestant Reformation and worked closely with John Calvin.
Another notable figure with the name Terrel was Terrel de Terville, a French military officer who lived in the 17th century. He was born in 1618 and died in 1701, and he played a significant role in various military campaigns during the reign of King Louis XIV.
In more recent times, there was an American actor named Terrel Tilford, who was born in 1959. He is best known for his roles in television shows such as "Barney Miller" and "Soul Food."
While the name Terrel has French origins, it has been used in various cultures and regions over the centuries. However, the details provided here focus primarily on its early history and notable individuals who bore this name throughout the centuries.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Terrel over time
The chart below shows babies named Terrel registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2011. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Terrel, the clearest high point is 2008. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2011, compared with 8 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Terrel by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Terrel was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #4256 | 7 | 2 |
| 2000s | #2814 | 36 | 7 |
| 1990s | #2031 | 21 | 4 |
Related
Names similar to Terrel
- Thomas 160,894
- Tyler 42,147
- Theo 40,594
- Toby 32,482
- Theodore 30,211
- Tommy 25,300
- Teddy 20,781
- Taylor 14,354
- Tobias 13,102
- Tom 9,822
- Tristan 9,171
- Timothy 6,200
FAQ
Terrel: questions and answers
How popular is the name Terrel in the UK right now?
In 2011, Terrel was ranked #4647 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Terrel most popular?
The peak year on record was 2008, with 8 babies registered as Terrel in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Terrel?
Old French form of the earth god Terén.
How many people are called Terrel in the UK?
A total of 64 babies have been registered as Terrel across the 13 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.