Terry is an English unisex name originally used as a diminutive of Terence (which comes from Roman family name Terentius which is of uncertain meaning though it could be derived from Latin terens meaning “rubbing, wearing away” from Latin terere (to rub, to wear out) though it might also be related to Sabine terenus meaning “soft”) or Theresa ( comes from Greek Therasia, the name of an island (the name is of uncertain meaning but has been linked to several possible meanings such as Greek theros “summer”, therizo “to harvest, to reap”, ther “wild beast”, or therao “to hunt”).
As an surname, however, Terry comes from medieval given name Thierry, the Norman French form of Theodoric meaning “ruler of the people” from Germanic elements theud (people) and ric (power); it could also be an anglicized form of Gaelic surname Mac Toirdhealbhaigh meaning “son of Toirdhealbhach”, the latter being a personal given name meaning “one who is like Thor” or “one who is like thunder”; or it’s a French surname deirved from Occitan terrin meaning “earthenware vessel, earthenware vase”, an occupational surname for a potter, which comes from Latin terra (earth).
Origin: Latin, Greek, Germanic, Gaelic
Variants:
- Terrie
- Terri
- Teri
