Tessa
A short form of Theresa, whose origin is unresolved. Suggestions include the Greek island Therasia and a Greek word for summer or harvest.
Tessa in 2025
Tessa was given to 978 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 664th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 3,390 babies born.
The history of Tessa
Tessa reached its highest point in 2007, when 1,753 babies were given the name, ranking 411th that year.
Across the 135 years of records since 1891, 55,939 babies have been named Tessa. Half of them were born before 2004, which places the name's centre of gravity with Generation Z.
Tessa by decade
| Decade | Babies named Tessa | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1890s | 31 | 1,902 |
| 1900s | 10 | 3,220 |
| 1910s | 23 | 5,240 |
| 1920s | 37 | 6,791 |
| 1930s | 11 | 6,965 |
| 1940s | 183 | 2,341 |
| 1950s | 165 | 3,155 |
| 1960s | 867 | 1,497 |
| 1970s | 2,969 | 810 |
| 1980s | 6,330 | 550 |
| 1990s | 12,041 | 451 |
| 2000s | 13,185 | 411 |
| 2010s | 13,883 | 458 |
| 2020s | 6,204 | 596 |
Where Tessa is heading
Tessa has fallen 37% over the past decade, from 1,560 babies in 2015 to 978 in 2025.
Names like Tessa
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Tessa.