Recent in Baby
When Baby Resists SolidsWhen Baby Resists SolidsBaby Biting TipsBaby Biting Tips5 Tips To Help Prevent Highchair Injuries5 Tips To Help Prevent Highchair InjuriesWhen Baby and Pet MeetWhen Baby and Pet MeetTreatments for ColicTreatments for ColicBaby Milestones – The First YearBaby Milestones – The First YearTips for Relieving Teething PainTips for Relieving Teething PainBenefits of Making Your Own Baby FoodBenefits of Making Your Own Baby Food

Home › Baby Names Directory › Terril

Terril

♂ Boy

Pronounced TERR-uhl /ˈtɛr.əl/Medium

Meaning: Terril is a spelling variant of Terrell or Terrill, an English surname whose origin is debated - possibly from Tyrrell, an old Norman family name, or from a place-name. Given to boys, it reads as a lean, one-r form of the fuller surname.Low

In 30 seconds: Terril is a variant of the surname Terrell or Terrill, of uncertain older origin. It was a rare mid-century boy's name, said TERR-uhl.
💕 Browse more names
Origin LowEnglish
MeaningTerril is a spelling variant of Terrell or Terrill, an English surname whose origin is debated - possibly from Tyrrell, an old Norman family name, or from a place-name. Given to boys, it reads as a lean, one-r form of the fuller surname.
U.S. rank (2001)#12139 ↘ Falling
2001 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1945
Total births (all-time)≈ 513

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 194619322001

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

Terril is one of several spellings of the surname Terrell or Terrill, whose deeper source is disputed - it is often linked to the Norman family name Tyrrell or to an English place-name. As a boy's given name it belongs to the broad American habit of adopting surnames, here in a trimmed single-r form.

It was always scarce, given to only about twenty boys a year around its 1945 peak, and it never spread widely. A Terril born then is now a grandfather, and the name stays a quiet mid-century surname-name rather than a revival.

Did you know? The Terrell and Terrill surname was reinterpreted many times, and thinned spellings like Terril show how American families reshaped inherited surnames into first names by ear.
Overall data confidence 34%
References - Terril — Variant of Terrell/Terrill; origin disputed (Tyrrell / place-name)

Variations

TerrellTerrillTerryl

Nicknames

Terry

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Terril…

Terrell— the fuller spelling of the same name
Darrell— a like -rell surname-name
Merrill— another surname used for boys
Tyrrell— a possible older source name

Explore names like Terril

By themevintagevariantmasculinesurname

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Terril mean?

It is a variant of the surname Terrell or Terrill, whose older origin is uncertain, possibly linked to Tyrrell.

How do you pronounce Terril?

It is said TERR-uhl /ˈtɛr.əl/, two syllables with the stress on the first.

Is Terril a boy or girl name?

Terril has been used mainly as a boy's name.

Is Terril a popular name?

No, it was always rare, given to only about twenty boys a year at its peak in the nineteen-forties.

💬 Ask Nia