Given name & surname
Tessa
“a harvester”
In English use, Tessa is an affectionate form of Theresa. One Greek interpretation is “a harvester.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Tessa is an affectionate form of Theresa. One Greek interpretation is “a harvester.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In English use, Tessa is an affectionate form of Theresa. An origin associated with Theresa is Greek.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In Finnish usage, Tessa is a diminutive of Teresa.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1891. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Tessa through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 55,939
- 13 boys · 55,926 girls
- Most popular year
- 2007
- 1,753 babies
- 2025
- 978
- #311 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −21%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 978 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 311 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 21.1% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 1,753 in 2007. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (98). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 47,455 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Tessa’s family of names
In Finnish usage, Tessa is a diminutive of Teresa. In Greek usage, Tessa as a surname is a transliteration of Τέσσα. Tessa is an affectionate form of Theresa.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Around the world
Tessa has relatives in 4 languages.
4 related names in 4 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 5
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 3
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
People named Tessa
- Charlotte RamplingBritish actress (born 1946)
- Tessa ThompsonAmerican actressborn 1983
- Tessa VirtueCanadian ice dancerborn 1989
- Tessa SandersonBritish javelin thrower (born 1956)
- Tessa JowellBritish politician (1947–2018)
- Tessa WorleyFrench alpine skierborn 1989
- Tessa VioletAmerican singerborn 1990
- Tessa WullaertBelgian footballerborn 1993
- Tessa Khanenvironmental lawyer
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Tessa, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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“a beauty of the night; born at nightfall”
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