Tessa
/ˈtɛsə/noun
A feminine given name, commonly used as a short form of Teresa or Theresa.
Did you know?The name became especially prominent through Saint Teresa of Ávila, a sixteenth-century Spanish mystic whose visions and writings shaped Christian mystical tradition.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
Thera / Theras
“A proposed source connected with an ancient place-name or personal name; the ultimate origin remains uncertain.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
therizō
“A separate proposed source meaning “to harvest,” though scholars do not agree that it explains Teresa.”
Late Antiquity
Latin
Theresia
“The Latinized form associated with the name later borne by Christian saints.”
16th Century
Spanish
Teresa
“The Spanish form popularized across Europe through Teresa of Ávila and other religious figures.”
18th–19th Century
English
Tess
“An English shortened form of Teresa or Theresa.”
Modern English
English
Tessa
“A familiar extended form of Tess, also used independently as a given name.”