Given name & surname
Tess
“a harvester”
In English use, Tess is an affectionate form of Theresa. One Greek interpretation is “a harvester.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Tess is an affectionate form of Theresa. One Greek interpretation is “a harvester.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In English use, Tess is an affectionate form of Theresa. An origin associated with Theresa is Greek.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English usage, Tess is a diminutive of Teresa.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1889. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Tess through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 14,770
- 0 boys · 14,770 girls
- Most popular year
- 1992
- 529 babies
- 2025
- 113
- #1,794 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −36%
- Cooling
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 113 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 1,794 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 36.1% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 529 in 1992. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (14). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 14,814 as a first name in 2020; 585 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Tess’s family of names
In English usage, Tess is a diminutive of Teresa. In English usage, Tess has a conventional naming counterpart in the Hungarian form Teca. Tess is an affectionate form of Theresa.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Tess
- Tess GerritsenAmerican novelistborn 1953
- Tess HarperAmerican actressborn 1950
- Tess LiederDutch handball playerborn 1993
- Tess LedeuxFrench freestyle skierborn 2001
- Tess CoadyAustralian snowboarderborn 2000
- Tess DalyBritish television presenterborn 1969
- Tess MadgenAustralian basketball player (born 1990)
- Tess HaubrichAustralian actress and modelborn 1990
- Tess JohnsonAmerican freestyle moguls skier (born 2000)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Tess, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Mercedes
“wages” · “lady of mercies; refers to the Virgin Mary”
>99% girls
Tori
“victorious woman; winner; conqueror” · “victory”
4% boys · 96% girls
Tania
“queen of the fairies”
>99% girls
Taya
Taya is a feminine given name.
>99% girls
Tianna
“queen of the fairies”
>99% girls
Tiara
“one who is crowned”
>99% girls
Terra
“goddess of the earth; the land itself”
>99% girls
Stormy
Stormy is a variant of Storm. One American interpretation is “of the tempest; stormy weather; having an impetuous nature.”
8% boys · 92% girls