Tess
/tɛs/noun
A feminine given name, commonly used as a short form of Teresa or Theresa.
Did you know?Tess became especially famous through Thomas Hardy’s 1891 novel Tess of the d’Urbervilles, whose heroine’s name helped make the short form widely recognizable in English.
Etymological Timeline
Late Antiquity
Greek
Therasia
“A feminine personal name; its ultimate meaning is uncertain.”
Late Antiquity
Latin
Theresia
“Latinized form of the Greek personal name Therasia.”
Middle Ages
Latin
Teresa
“Medieval form of the saint’s name, associated especially with Saint Teresa of Ávila.”
16th Century
Spanish
Teresa
“Spanish form popularized throughout Europe through devotion to Saint Teresa.”
19th Century
English
Tess
“English short form of Teresa or Theresa, reinforced by literary use.”
Modern English
English
Tess
“An established feminine given name used independently as well as a diminutive.”