Explore the Family Name Terry
The meaning of Terry
1. English and Irish: from the Norman personal name T(h)erry (Old French Thierri), a short form of Theodoric, which is composed of the ancient Germanic elements theud ‘people, race’ + rīc ‘power(ful), rich’. Theodoric was the name of the Ostrogothic leader (c.454–526) who invaded Italy in 488 and established his capital at Ravenna in 493. His name was sometimes taken as a derivative of Greek Theodōros (see Theodore). An Anglo-Norman family of this name has been in County Cork, Ireland, since the 13th century. 2. Irish: sometimes an Anglicized (‘translated’) form of Gaelic Mac Toirdhealbhaigh (see Turley).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Terry in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Terry has experienced some changes over the years. In 2000, Terry ranked as the 336th most popular surname, but by 2010 it had slipped to 361st. Despite its decrease in ranking, the count of individuals with the Terry surname actually increased from 83,437 in 2000 to 87,000 in 2010, a growth of 4.27 percent. However, when considering the proportion per 100,000 people, there's been a slight decrease of 4.66 percent over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #336 | #361 | -7.44% |
| Count | 83,437 | 87,000 | 4.27% |
| Proportion per 100k | 30.93 | 29.49 | -4.66% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Terry
The distribution of ethnic identity among those with the surname Terry also saw shifts between 2000 and 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. The percentage of Terrys with an Asian or Pacific Islander background grew from 0.41 percent to 0.56 percent, and those identifying with two or more races increased from 1.73 percent to 2.44 percent. The proportion of white individuals with the surname slightly decreased from 68.82 percent to 66.28 percent. Interestingly, the biggest jump was seen within the Hispanic group, which rose from 1.68 percent to 2.68 percent. The proportion of Black individuals slightly increased from 26.63 percent to 27.34 percent. The only decline was noted in the American Indian and Alaskan Native group, dropping from 0.73 percent to 0.70 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 68.82% | 66.28% | -3.69% |
| Black | 26.63% | 27.34% | 2.67% |
| Hispanic | 1.68% | 2.68% | 59.52% |
| Two or More Races | 1.73% | 2.44% | 41.04% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.73% | 0.7% | -4.11% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.41% | 0.56% | 36.59% |
Terry ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Terry is British & Irish, which comprises 54.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.8%) and Nigerian (3.6%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 54.9% |
| French & German | 20.8% |
| Nigerian | 3.6% |
| Other | 20.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Terry
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Terry have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 86.50% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 86.50% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 86.30% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 86.10% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 85.80% |
What Terry haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Terry is I-L233, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-L233 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include I-L1498 and R-P311, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Lindsay, Glover, Hilton, Gilman, Mead, Woolley, Ashley, Criswell, Saunders, Perry.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Terry surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Terry have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Terry" Surname 45.4%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Terry" Surname 29.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Terry" Surname 20.0%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Terry" Surname 18.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Terry?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Terry are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition