How to say it
TES · sa
/ˈtɛs.ə/
Feminine
Tessa
Harvester
What it means
A short form of Theresa, of uncertain Greek origin, often linked to 'to harvest' or the island Therasia.
Tessa grew up as the short for Theresa, a name whose Greek roots are genuinely murky, tied either to a word for harvesting or to the Aegean island Therasia. It long ago became a name in its own right, crisp and modern where Theresa feels formal. Thomas Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles gives the shorter Tess literary weight. It is brisk, friendly, and easy everywhere.
Popularity over time
peaked at #190 in 2007, currently #311 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Nickname
Originally short for Theresa; Tess is the shorter form still.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Tessa Thompson American actress (Thor, Westworld)
- Tess Durbeyfield heroine of Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles
Spelling variants
- Tessah
- Tesa
- Theresa