Terrell
An English surname that is usually a spelling of Tyrrell, ultimately from an old personal name related to Theodoric/Thierry.
The #983 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 8,720 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The historical sources treat Terrell mainly as a variant of Tyrrell. That surname is commonly traced to an old personal name, often explained as a form of Turold/Turrod or, more broadly, as coming from a Germanic given name such as Theodoric, through Anglo-Norman and French forms. In short, the surname began as a personal-name surname, meaning in effect 'son of Tyrrell/Turold' or 'descendant of a man with that name.'
History
Bardsley notes the name as a personal name in medieval England, and Harrison explicitly places Terrell with Tyrrell and related forms. The spelling has shifted over time among Terrell, Tyrrell, Tirrell, Terrill, and similar forms, which is typical of medieval surnames before standardized spelling. In modern use, Terrell is established in England and especially familiar in the United States, where it has also become widespread as a given name.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
One 19th-century authority even glossed the related surname Terry as a corruption of Theodoric, showing how many overlapping medieval name-forms were being compared by early surname scholars.
From the historical record
“TERRELL 1 TERRILL J V. Tirrell. TERREY \ (A.-Fr.-Teut.) contr. of Theodoric, TERRY 1 q-v- Terry.— Hund. Rolls.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)