Tarry

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Tarry

Pronounced TA-ree /ˈtær.i/Medium

Meaning: Tarry reads as a phonetic respelling of Terry, the familiar short form of Terence, from the Roman Terentius, and of the Germanic Theodoric. It has no separate meaning of its own and carries whichever sense belongs to its parent.Low

In 30 seconds: Tarry respells Terry, the short form of Terence or Theodoric. It appeared for United States boys mid-century and reached its high in the late nineteen-sixties (said TA-ree).

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Origin LowEnglish, Latin

MeaningTarry reads as a phonetic respelling of Terry, the familiar short form of Terence, from the Roman Terentius, and of the Germanic Theodoric. It has no separate meaning of its own and carries whichever sense belongs to its parent.

U.S. rank (2004)#13008 ↘ Falling

2004 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1968

Total births (all-time)≈ 430

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Tarry tracks the enormously popular Terry, which crested for American boys in the nineteen-fifties and sixties. This spelling caught a thin slice of that wave, touching a modest high in 1968 before receding.

It was never common, given to only a couple dozen boys a year at its peak, and its run closed in the mid-two-thousands. A boy named Tarry at the high point would be in his late fifties today, and he was almost certainly known as Terry in daily life.

Did you know? Terry sat among the most popular American boys' names of the mid-twentieth century, so it is no surprise that variant spellings like Tarry surfaced in its shadow.

Overall data confidence 30%

References - Tarry — Respelling of Terry; short form of Terence/Theodoric

Variations

TerryTerrieTarrie

Nicknames

TerryTare

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Tarry…

Terry— the standard spelling Tarry mirrors

Terrance— a fuller form of the same Terence root

Tara— a like-sounding name of the same era

Gary— a popular short mid-century boy's name of similar sound

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Tarry mean?

It is a respelling of Terry, a short form of Terence, from Latin, or Theodoric.

How do you pronounce Tarry?

It is said TA-ree /ˈtær.i/, two syllables with the stress on the first.

Is Tarry a boy or girl name?

Tarry is recorded as a boy's name.

How popular is Tarry?

It has always been very rare, given to only a couple dozen boys a year at its peak in the late nineteen-sixties.