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Terril

TEH-ril /tɛrɪl/

At a glance

In short
Terril is a spirited unisex choice with roots that twirl back to the Old French word “tirel,” loosely meaning “to pull”—a subtle nod to the name’s quiet strength.
U.S. rank 2025
Not in the 2025 data · last seen 2001 (#10,556)
Babies in 2001
5 (<0.01% of boys)
Peak
#1,697 in 1945
First recorded
1932

Meaning of Terril

Terril is a spirited unisex choice with roots that twirl back to the Old French word “tirel,” loosely meaning “to pull”—a subtle nod to the name’s quiet strength. Pronounced TEH-ril (/tɛrɪl/), it glides off the tongue like silk draping a Kathak dancer’s twirl. In mid-20th-century America, Terril made a modest splash—about five to eight little ones each year from 1946 to 1963—charting between ranks 657 and 784, rare enough to feel like a hidden jewel yet familiar enough to spark a knowing smile. Picture it weaving through an Indian courtyard, mingling with the scent of jasmine and masala chai, ready to bloom with every new story. Balancing heritage rhythms with modern flair, Terril stands out as a playful, resilient pick for any family seeking a name that both soothes the heart and stirs the imagination.

How to pronounce Terril

English

Popularity of Terril in the U.S.

Terril was last recorded in the U.S. in 2001, ranked #10,556 with 5 babies. It peaked at #1,697 in 1945. It first appears in the records in 1932.

Bar and line chart: Terril in the U.S., 1932–2001. Bars: boys given the name each year, most 16 in 1945 and 5 in 2001. Line: rank among boy names, peak #1,697 in 1945, #10,556 in 2001.
  • Boys named Terril (left scale)
  • Rank among U.S. boy names (right scale, #1 at the top)
By year, 1932–2001. Source: SSA. Download: PNG · SVG
Year-by-year table, 1932⁠–⁠2001 59 rows
Terril: babies and rank among boy names in the U.S. by year
YearBabiesRankvs previous year
2001510,556back (not recorded in 1999–2000)
199868,479▲ 786
199759,265back (not recorded in 1996)
199576,992▲ 1,808
199458,800back (not recorded in 1993)
199276,670▼ 2,194
1991124,476▲ 517
1990104,993▼ 466
1989114,527▼ 365
1988114,162▲ 1,927
198766,089▼ 163
198665,926▼ 779
198575,147▼ 174
198474,973▼ 832
198394,141▲ 1,479
198265,620▼ 152
198165,468back (not recorded in 1980)
197974,842▲ 218
197865,060back (not recorded in 1977)
1976103,471▲ 1,326
197564,797▼ 163
197464,634▼ 1,621
1973113,013▲ 609
197283,622▲ 36
197183,658▼ 376
197093,282▼ 220
196993,062▼ 155
196892,907▼ 147
196792,760▲ 24
196692,784▼ 514
1965132,270▲ 780
196483,050▲ 998
196354,048▼ 15
196254,033▼ 677
196173,356▼ 1,041
1960132,315▼ 20
1959132,295▲ 980
195873,275▼ 1,085
1957142,190▲ 1,345
195663,535▼ 1,233
1955122,302▲ 640
195482,942▲ 201
195373,143▼ 629
1952102,514▲ 330
195182,844▼ 264
195092,580▼ 243
1949112,337▼ 310
1948142,027▲ 644
194792,671▼ 858
1946161,813▼ 116
1945161,697▲ 1,165
194472,862▼ 457
1943102,405▼ 19
1942102,386▼ 53
1941102,333▼ 350
1940131,983back (not recorded in 1939)
193882,646back (not recorded in 1935–1937)
193453,679back (not recorded in 1933)
193263,361new

Notable people named Terril

  • Terril Calder is a Canadian artist and animator whose short film Snip was named one of Canada's Top Ten films in 2016.