Terrance History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Terrance surname is an Anglicization, derived from the Irish Gaelic “Mac Toirdhealbhaigh.”

Early Origins of the Terrance family

The surname Terrance was first found in Leinster, where they held a family seat as chiefs of Hy-Cinselagh. Irish history, after the Norman Conquest of England, was strongly influenced by the invasion of Strongbow in 1172, almost equal to the enormous Irish cultural impact on England Scotland, Wales and the whole of Europe before the Norman Conquest from the 1st to 7th centuries. Many Irish clanns, sept names were intermixed and family groupings became almost indistinguishable. This family name was found later in Armagh and Down to the north where the name also became a Christian Name.

Early History of the Terrance family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Terrance research.

Terrance Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: McTurley, Turley, McTirlay, Turlough, McTurlogh, McTorrilogh, Torley, McTerrelly, Terrance, Terence, Terry, McTorrilogh, McTirloch and many more.

 Terrance migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were: 

Terrance Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

• John Terrance, a ship passenger who arrived in San Francisco in 1852

Contemporary Notables of the name Terrance (post 1700) +

• Oliver Terrance Gildart (b. 1996), English professional rugby league footballer who plays as a centre for the Wigan Warriors, winner of the 2017 Super League Young Player Of The Year
• Charles Terrance Canady (b. 1954), American Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Florida
• Ivan Terrance Sanderson (1911-1973), Scottish naturalist and writer
• Charles Terrance Canady (b. 1954), American Republican politician, Member of Florida State House of Representatives, 1985-90; Candidate for Florida State Senate, 1990; U.S. Representative from Florida 12th District, 1993-2001 [1]
• Terrance Michael Caffery (1949-2022), Canadian professional ice hockey player from Toronto who played from 1969 to 1976
• Terrance Joseph “Terry” Cooney (1933-2022), American umpire in Major League Baseballwho worked in the American League (AL) from 1974 to 1992
• Terrance Bullitt (b. 1991), American CFL football linebacker for the Edmonton Eskimos (2017-)
• Terrance L. Hardiman, United States Antarctic Research Program geomagnetist/seismologist at South Pole Station, 1965, eponym of Hardiman Peak, Antarctica
• Mr. Terrance Down MCG, British Stoker, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales and survived the sinking
• Terrance Michael “T.M.” Wright (1947-2015), American author of horror fiction, speculative fiction, and poetry; he wrote over 25 novels, novellas and short stories in his lifetime.