Terry
An English and French surname from the old personal name Theodoric, meaning “ruler of the people.”
The #361 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 3,549 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Terry is generally explained as a shortened or altered form of Theodoric, an old Germanic personal name made from elements meaning “people” and “power” or “rule.” In medieval French this name appears as Thierry, and English surname forms such as Terry developed from that tradition. Older writers sometimes offered other explanations, but the Theodoric origin is the standard one.
History
The surname appears early in medieval English records in forms such as Terri and Terry. It spread in England through Norman and French naming influence, and the same source name also produced related surnames such as Thierry and, in some cases, Derrick. The name remains common in English-speaking countries, especially the United States and Britain.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
19th-century surname writers explicitly rejected the idea that Terry came from the English word “tearful” and instead tied it to the old personal name Theodoric.
From the historical record
“TERREY \ (A.-Fr.-Teut.) contr. of Theodoric, TERRY 1 q-v- Terry.— Hund. Rolls. Geoffery Terri. — do. Wo was Hawkyn, wo was Kerry ! Wo was Tomkyn, wo was Terry I — 'The Turnament of Tottenham", 222-3 : Percy's Reliques. The present-day French forms are ThSry, Thidry, Thierry.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)