Teresa
Teresa was the 911th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 291 babies. Its best year was 1961, when it ranked 18th with 18,909 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 243 places. More babies were named Teresa in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Meaning origin uncertain; perhaps from the island Thera · Spanish, Greek
Say it tuh-REE-suh /təˈɹisə/
- Rank in 2025
- #911 girls, down 164 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 291girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 196118,909 babies
- Total since 1880
- 417,209babies recorded
What does the name Teresa mean?
Teresa is the Spanish and Italian form of Theresa. Wiktionary notes that the name first appears with a 4th-century Spanish saint, Therasia, the wife of Saint Paulinus of Nola, and that its origin is obscure. DMNES calls it of uncertain origin but possibly from Greek therizein 'to harvest'; another suggestion links it to Thera or Therasia, Greek island names. Neither is proven. The name spread through Saint Teresa of Ávila (16th century) and later Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
Therasia (Late Latin, “early form of the name”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Origin unknown; DMNES allows a possible link to therizein 'to harvest'.
Other explanations you may read: Means 'harvester' (Greek therizein).
Pronunciation: Spanish speakers say teh-REH-sah.
Related names: Theresa, Tessa, Terri, Tess, Thérèse.
See also: Greek names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Teresa', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Theresa', DMNES (Durham University)
Nicknames for Teresa
The usual nicknames for Teresa are Terry, Tess, Tessa, Tessie and Teri. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Teresa in the last five years, 319 were named Tessa, against 151 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terry · also for Terrance | Traditional | #10,047 | 36 |
| Tess · also for Tessa, Therese | Traditional | #1,794 | 594 |
| Tessa | Traditional | #311 | 5,069 |
| Tessie | Traditional | #11,835 | 44 |
| Teri | Traditional | #13,071 | 39 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Teresas go by each one.
Teresa popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 1,165 since 1917.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #911 | 291 |
| 2020 | #747 | 366 |
| 2010 | #694 | 412 |
| 2000 | #344 | 899 |
| 1990 | #179 | 1,613 |
| 1980 | #94 | 3,149 |
| 1970 | #34 | 9,612 |
| 1960 | #19 | 18,839 |
| 1950 | #81 | 4,724 |
| 1940 | #244 | 686 |
| 1930 | #194 | 992 |
| 1920 | #243 | 720 |
| 1910 | #258 | 220 |
| 1900 | #220 | 204 |
| 1890 | #233 | 110 |
| 1880 | #218 | 50 |
How popular is Teresa, counting every spelling?
Teresa is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #661 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #911 for Teresa on its own. Together these spellings went to 432 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teresa | 291 | #911 | 1,589 |
| Theresa | 136 | #1,559 | 703 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Teresa?
291 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Teresa (0.08 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Teresa born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 29 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Teresa.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Teresa?
About 336,700 people born in the US named Teresa are alive today, with a median age of 62; half are between 55 and 68. That makes Teresa a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Teresa by state
How common Teresa was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Virginia (1.7×), Illinois (1.6×). In 21 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Teresa: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Teresa, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Teresa · Sibling names for Teresa
Questions about the name Teresa
What does Teresa mean?
Teresa is usually explained as “origin uncertain; perhaps from the island Thera”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Teresa?
Teresa was the 911th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 291 babies. Its best year was 1961, when it ranked 18th with 18,909 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 243 places. More babies were named Teresa in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Is Teresa a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Teresa in the US.
Where is Teresa most popular?
In 2021–2025, Teresa was most common in Virginia (0.33 per 1,000 girls), followed by Illinois and Iowa.