The Terrell surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 35,408 people carried this name — #983 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 8,330 people counted. That is up 4% from 33,914 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Terrell surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley explains it as ‘the son of Turold’.

An early record he cites: Henry Tyrel, Devon, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Terrell, Tyrrell, Tirrell and Terrill.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 742 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

In 1790, Terrell was counted together with Turrel: 133 families in all.

Each family is counted by its head. About 773 people lived in those households, 5.8 to a family on average. The census counted these spellings together: Turrel, Terral, Terrall, Terrel, Terrell, Terril, Terrill, Terrol, Tirrel, Tirrell, Turell, Turrell, Turril, Turrill, Tyrel, Tyrell, Tyrrall, Tyrrel, Tyrrell, Tyrrill. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Connecticut 41
Massachusetts 31
Virginia 14
North Carolina 13
New York 9
South Carolina 9
New Hampshire 8
Vermont 4
Maine 2
Pennsylvania 1
Maryland 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 266 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Terrell in American newspapers,
1874–1924.

Newspaper page from The Elkins Inter-mountain carrying the name Terrell
The Elkins Inter-mountain 1924-05-24
Newspaper page from The Indiana State Sentinel carrying the name Terrell
The Indiana State Sentinel 1874-03-31
Newspaper page from Daily Capital Journal carrying the name Terrell
Daily Capital Journal 1898-04-20

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 204,151 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Terrell in Australian newspapers,
1840s–2000s.

5,657 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Terrell. The most, 1,346, date from the 1910s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in South Australia, at 3.2 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

South Australia 2,086
New South Wales 1,123
Victoria 885
Western Australia 762
Queensland 550
Tasmania 165
ACT (Canberra) 56
Northern Territory 2

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Terrell.

Who carried it

People named Terrell,
with a public archive behind them.

  • William Terrell
    William Terrell 1788–1855 · politician
  • Katherine Anna Terrell d. 1950
  • Richmond Terrell d. 1771
  • Bertram Terrell d. 1912
  • David Terrell 1697–1759
  • Richmond Terrell 1716–1765

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Terrell,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,958 records

1,958 records of the Terrell name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 1,090
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 466
  • Other U.S. records 402
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record William Lee Terrell

    Born 1945; from Chickamauga, Georgia. U.S. Marine Corps, rifleman; killed in action 1968 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam. Buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Missouri.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Robert S. Terrell

    Born 1916 in Pennsylvania. Enlisted 1943 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; driver. U.S. Army Air Forces veteran of World War II; died 1990, buried at Leavenworth National Cemetery, Kansas.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Mary Terrell

    Arrived at New York in 1852 aboard the Sarah Y. Hyde from Liverpool, aged 45; laborer. From Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 1,958 records for Terrell in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia105 records

105 records of the Terrell name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 61
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 28
  • Other Australian records 16
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Peter Terrell

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Mayda, sailing from Woolwich in 1845. Native of Manchester, Lancashire.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Kate Terrell

    Arrived in Queensland in 1875 aboard the Star Queen, aged 25.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Max John Terrell

    Gentleman of Healesville, Victoria; died 1994.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 105 records for Terrell in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

New Zealand16 records

16 records of the Terrell name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Maud Elizabeth Terrell

    Died 1901, aged 20; buried at Addington Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Christopher George Terrell

    Died 1931, aged 57; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Alice Georgina Maude Terrell

    Died 1977, aged 76; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 16 records for Terrell in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Canada10 records

10 records of the Terrell name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 6
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 1
  • Other Canadian records 3
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record James Terrell

    Died 1921 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Herbert Terrell

    Died 1914; buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Reginald Terrell

    Died in service in 1917.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 10 records for Terrell in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

United Kingdom4 records

4 records of the Terrell name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 3
  • Stirling Council burial records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Christina McBean Terrell

    Died 1999, aged 78; buried at Ballengeich Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. Terrell

    London Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record E. J. Terrell

    Royal Irish Rifles. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 4 records for Terrell in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Netherlands4 records

4 records of the Terrell name in the Netherlands Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths)
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Avenda Gertrude Terrell

    Married in 1928 in Hilversum. Died 1972 in 'sGravenhage.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0); Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Percival Frederick Terrell

    Married in 1946 in Tilburg.

    Open Archives, Brabants Historisch Informatie Centrum (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 2 of 4 records for Terrell in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

France1 record

1 record of the Terrell name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Adrien Courtenay Terrell

    Born 1932 in Great Britain; died 1996 in Omonville-la-Rogue (Manche).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Terrell.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Terrell is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Terrell volume
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