Show ContentsTerre History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Terre family

The surname Terre was first found in Somerset where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the 13th century.

Early History of the Terre family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Terre research. Another 97 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Terre History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Terre Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Terre has been recorded under many different variations, including Tarr, Terr, Tarre, Terre, Tara, Tarra and others.

Early Notables of the Terre family

More information is included under the topic Early Terre Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Terre migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Terre or a variant listed above:

Terre Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Christian Terre, who arrived in Maryland in 1664 [1]
  • Betty Terre, who landed in Maryland in 1666-1680 [1]


  1. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)


Houseofnames.com on Facebook