Therese
Therese was the 2324th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 79 babies. Its best year was 1927, when it ranked 220th; the most babies were born in 1959 (1,211). Over the last ten years it has moved up 483 places. More babies were named Therese in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · French, German, Greek
Say it tuh-REES /təˈris/
- Rank in 2025
- #2,324 girls, up 687 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 79girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19591,211 babies
- Total since 1880
- 35,595babies recorded
What does the name Therese mean?
Therese is the German and Scandinavian spelling (French Thérèse) of Teresa or Theresa. The name first appears in Spain in the 4th century, as Therasia, and its origin is uncertain: DMNES suggests a link with Greek therizō, "to harvest", and Wiktionary mentions the Greek island Therasia. It spread through Saint Teresa of Ávila and, for this spelling, Saint Thérèse of Lisieux (died 1897). In the US Therese was most common in the 1920s to 1950s.
θερίζω (Greek, “to harvest (suggested)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Teresa/Theresa is of uncertain origin; "harvester" and a Greek island name are suggestions.
Related names: Theresa, Teresa, Thérèse, Tess, Terry.
See also: Greek names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Teresa', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Theresa', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wikipedia, 'Teresa', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Nicknames for Therese
The usual nicknames for Therese are Tess. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Therese in the last five years, 166 were named Tess, against 481 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tess · also for Tessa, Teresa | Traditional | #1,794 | 594 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Thereses go by each one.
Therese popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 5 since 1931.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,324 | 79 |
| 2020 | #3,011 | 54 |
| 2010 | #2,612 | 70 |
| 2000 | #1,866 | 92 |
| 1990 | #1,371 | 116 |
| 1980 | #964 | 154 |
| 1970 | #582 | 304 |
| 1960 | #258 | 1,197 |
| 1950 | #325 | 555 |
| 1940 | #455 | 217 |
| 1930 | #260 | 576 |
| 1920 | #654 | 123 |
| 1910 | #636 | 45 |
| 1900 | #722 | 26 |
| 1890 | #789 | 13 |
| 1880 | #543 | 11 |
How popular is Therese, counting every spelling?
Therese has no other common spelling that sounds the same.
How many kids will share the name Therese?
79 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Therese (0.02 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Therese 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 106 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Therese.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Therese?
About 22,600 people born in the US named Therese are alive today, with a median age of 65; half are between 55 and 71. That makes Therese 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.
Therese by state
How common Therese was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Pennsylvania (1.9×). In 41 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 Therese: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Therese, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Therese · Sibling names for Therese
Questions about the name Therese
What does Therese mean?
The origin of Therese is uncertain: Teresa/Theresa is of uncertain origin; "harvester" and a Greek island name are suggestions.
How popular is the name Therese?
Therese was the 2324th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 79 babies. Its best year was 1927, when it ranked 220th; the most babies were born in 1959 (1,211). Over the last ten years it has moved up 483 places. More babies were named Therese in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Therese a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Therese in the US.
Where is Therese most popular?
In 2021–2025, Therese was most common in Kansas (0.12 per 1,000 girls), followed by Minnesota and Pennsylvania.