Teja

♀ Girl

Pronounced TAY-juh /ˈteɪ.dʒə/Medium

Meaning: Teja most often comes from the Sanskrit tejas, 'radiance, light, fiery brilliance', a unisex name in South Asia. It is also a Spanish word and surname and a Slovene short form of Terezija, so the route depends on the family.Low

In 30 seconds: Teja most often means 'radiance' or 'light' from Sanskrit, though it is also Spanish and Slovene. Brief and bright, it crested in 2002.

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Origin LowSanskrit, Spanish

MeaningTeja most often comes from the Sanskrit tejas, 'radiance, light, fiery brilliance', a unisex name in South Asia. It is also a Spanish word and surname and a Slovene short form of Terezija, so the route depends on the family.

U.S. rank (2016)#18620 ↘ Falling

2016 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year2002

Total births (all-time)≈ 571

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Teja reaches American records by more than one path. In its most widespread sense it is the Sanskrit tejas, 'radiance, light, brilliance', used across South Asia for girls and boys; it is also a Spanish word and family name, and in Slovenia a short form of Terezija. In the United States it appears from the late nineteen-seventies, likely carried by more than one community.

Teja reached its high point in 2002 and has stayed an uncommon, cross-cultural choice. Because its true root varies by family and its spelling would mislead an English reader, the audio is guided from the respelling; the name reads as modern and international rather than tied to a single era.

Did you know? Teja wears at least three passports: a Sanskrit word for radiant light, a Spanish word and surname, and a Slovene pet form of Terezija — one small name reached by several different roads.

Overall data confidence 55%

References — Teja — Sanskrit tejas 'radiance/light'; also Spanish and Slovene — dual route flagged; SSA peak 2002

Variations

TejalTejasTereza

Nicknames

TejTeej

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Teja…

Deja— a like brief two-beat girls' name of the same era

Maya— a same-feel short name with cross-cultural roots

Kiran— another South Asian light-themed unisex name

Tara— a short name shared across Sanskrit and Western use

Explore names like Teja

By themesanskrit two-syllable light international

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Teja mean?

Teja most often means 'radiance' or 'light' from Sanskrit tejas; it is also a Spanish word and a Slovene name.

How do you pronounce Teja?

It's said TAY-juh /ˈteɪ.dʒə/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Teja a boy or girl name?

Teja is used here as a girl's name, though in South Asia it is given to both girls and boys.

How popular is Teja?

Teja is an uncommon, cross-cultural name that crested in the early two-thousands in the United States.