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Home › Baby Names Directory › Temperance

Temperance

♀ Girl

Pronounced TEHM-pruhns /ˈtɛm.pɹəns/Medium

Meaning: ModerationMedium

In 30 seconds: Temperance is an English virtue name meaning 'moderation' or 'self-restraint'.
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Origin MediumEnglish
MeaningModeration
U.S. rank (2025)#2034 ↗ Rising
2025 U.S. births94 girls (0.01% of U.S. girls)
Peak year2014
Total births (all-time)≈ 3,704

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 201419162025

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

It belongs to the set of virtue names that English Puritans favored, naming children for qualities they hoped to instill. Temperance points to moderation and self-control, sitting alongside names like Patience and Prudence. The word itself comes into English from Latin by way of the idea of measured restraint.

Its formal, multi-syllable sound gives it an old-fashioned dignity that has drawn renewed interest in recent years.

Did you know? The meaning usually attached to Temperance is 'moderation', and that core idea is what gives the name most of its long-term appeal.
Overall data confidence 78%
Behind the Name - Temperance — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

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Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

  • ★Temperance Flowerdew (c.1590-1628)
    Early Jamestown colonist who survived the Starving Time and married Virginia governor George Yeardley
  • ★Temperance Wick
    American Revolutionary War-era figure of New Jersey folklore who reportedly hid her horse from mutinous soldiers

If you like Temperance…

Patience— A fellow English virtue name from the same Puritan naming tradition
Prudence— Another virtue name centered on restraint and good judgment
Verity— A virtue name, 'truth', in the same English category
Constance— A virtue name with a similar formal, abstract feel
Mercy— A short virtue name from the same naming spirit

Explore names like Temperance

By themeenglish

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Temperance mean?

Temperance is usually explained as meaning 'moderation' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Temperance?

It's commonly said TEHM-pruhns /ˈtɛm.pɹəns/.

Is Temperance a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Temperance is used as a girl name.

How popular is Temperance?

In 2024, Temperance ranked #2127 in the U.S. for girls, with 90 births recorded.

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