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Teri

Girl name · 331 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Teri: 331 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to girls, peaking at 21 births in 1987.

Teri is primarily a diminutive of Teresa, which traces back to the Greek *Therasia*, the name of a volcanic island in the Aegean Sea, or to the Greek *therizein*, meaning "to harvest." The name Teresa itself gained widespread popularity through Saint Teresa of Ávila, the 16th-century Spanish mystic, and later Saint Teresa of Calcutta. The spelling Teri, often seen as a modern, streamlined variant, was most famously borne by American actress Teri Garr, known for her comedic roles in *Young Frankenstein* and *Tootsie*. While Teri itself isn't tied to a specific place, its root, the Greek island Therasia, now known as Thira or Santorini, shares a volcanic origin story. This spelling was particularly fashionable in the 1970s in Scotland, aligning with a broader trend for shorter, more casual forms of classic names.