Temple
2025 SSA
Below 5 births
About Temple
The old word name Temple has gained some recent notice as a girls' name via admired autistic writer and inventor Dr. Temple Grandin (born Mary Temple), subject of an acclaimed biopic, in which she was played by Claire Danes.
Temple for girls#10836 US
As a female name, it was seen as the college-girl character of Temple Drake in the William Faulkner novel Sanctuary and the 1933 film The Story of Temple Drake. And as a surname, it will forever be identified with cute child star Shirley Temple.
Temple for boys
Rather formal word name that has been used occasionally over the years, most notably for the autism activist and animal expert Temple Grandin.
Pronounced TEM-pul.
As of October 2026, Temple ranked #10836 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #1161 in 1884.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · girls | Births · girls | US rank · boys | Births · boys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | — | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2015 | — | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2016 | — | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2017 | — | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2018 | — | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2019 | — | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | — | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2022 | — | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2023 | — | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2024 | — | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | — | 0 | — | 0 |
Similar names
These 40 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Temple.
Similar girl names
Similar boy names
Temple on lists
Famous Temples
- (Mary) Temple GrandinGirl
American scientist and inventor
- Shirley TempleGirl
American actress and ambassador
- Juno TempleGirl
English actress
- Temple Lea HoustonBoy
American lawyer, politician, and gunfighter; son of Sam Houston
- Temple HardyBoy
English naval officer during the French Revolutionary War
- Temple StanyanBoy
English historian
- Lew TempleBoy
American actor
- William Temple FranklinBoy
called Temple, American diplomat; grandson of Benjamin Franklin
Temple in pop culture
- Temple DrakeGirl
lead character, a Mississippi college girl, in Faulkner's novel "Sanctuary" (1931)
- Merlyn TempleGirl
character from TV series "American Gothic"
- Temple of the DogBoy
American rock band
- Stone Temple PilotsBoy
American rock band
- Caleb TempleBoy
character on "American Gothic"
- Gage TempleBoy
character from TV series "American Gothic"
- Connor TempleBoy
character from ITV Series “Primeval”