Variant of Terence, from the Roman family name Terentius, possibly of Etruscan origin.
Terance is a variant spelling of Terence, a name that carries within it one of the most remarkable biographical backstories in Western literary history. The original Terence — Publius Terentius Afer — was a playwright of the Roman Republic, born around 185 BCE, who is believed to have been brought to Rome as a slave from North Africa (his cognomen Afer, meaning "the African," preserves this origin). He was educated and eventually freed by his master, and went on to write six comedies that survive intact — an extraordinary rate of survival compared to most ancient literature.
His plays, celebrated for their elegant Latin, nuanced characters, and humane philosophy, generated the famous saying Homo sum, humani nihil a me alienum puto: "I am human, and nothing human is foreign to me." The family name Terentius likely derives from an Etruscan or Oscan root, and the Latin cognomen gave rise to the given name Terence, which entered English usage through classical education and the prestige of Roman letters. It became particularly common in Ireland, where it was sometimes used as an anglicization of the Irish name Toirdhealbhach (meaning "shaped like Thor").
This Irish connection gave Terence and its variants a warm place in Irish-American communities, where the name carried both classical learning and ethnic heritage. Terance, with its distinctive spelling, individualizes the name while keeping its deep roots intact. Notable bearers of the broader name include playwright Terrence McNally, director Terence Davies, and actor Terence Stamp — all carrying a name that connects, however distantly, to a freed African slave who became one of Rome's finest writers.