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Home › Baby Names Directory › Theresa

Theresa

♀ Girl

Pronounced tuh-REE-suh /təˈriː.sə/Medium

Meaning: possibly from Greek 'theros' meaning 'summer' or 'therizo' meaning 'to harvest'; the ultimate origin is uncertainMedium

In 30 seconds: Theresa is a Greek name of uncertain origin, sometimes linked to theros, 'summer', or therizo, 'to harvest'.
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Origin MediumGreek, Spanish, Portuguese
Meaningpossibly from Greek 'theros' meaning 'summer' or 'therizo' meaning 'to harvest'; the ultimate origin is uncertain
U.S. rank (2025)#1559 ↘ Falling
2025 U.S. births136 girls (0.01% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1961
Total births (all-time)≈ 404,607

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 196118802025

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

The true root of Theresa is not settled. The most common guesses connect it to the Greek theros, meaning 'summer', or therizo, 'to harvest', but neither is certain and the original sense remains disputed. It is more honest to say the meaning is unresolved than to pin it down.

Across languages it shifts into Teresa, Therese, and the Latinate Theresia. Mother Teresa, the missionary nun and Nobel laureate, is the bearer most people picture.

Did you know? The meaning usually attached to Theresa is 'summer', and that core idea is what gives the name most of its long-term appeal.
Overall data confidence 78%
Behind the Name - Theresa — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

TeresaThereseTheresiaTheresTerese

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

  • ★Mother Teresa (1910–1997)
    Albanian-Indian Catholic nun and missionary who founded the Missionaries of Charity and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. She was canonized as a saint in 2016.

If you like Theresa…

Teresa— the most widespread spelling of the same name
Therese— a French and German form of Theresa
Alissa— a fellow Greek choice
Larissa— shares the -sa ending
Karissa— echoes that soft -sa sound

Explore names like Theresa

By themeenglish

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Theresa mean?

Theresa is usually explained as meaning 'summer' and is most often linked with Spanish and Portuguese tradition.

How do you pronounce Theresa?

It's commonly said tuh-REE-suh /təˈriː.sə/.

Is Theresa a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Theresa is used as a girl name.

How popular is Theresa?

In 2024, Theresa ranked #1499 in the U.S. for girls, with 145 births recorded.

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