Tessa

The female first name Tessa is an English short and pet form of Teresa, Theresa, and Theresia, which originally stem from the ancient Greek Therasia (Θηρεσία). Directly translated, the first name means 'the one from the island of Thera' (the present-day island of Santorini), 'the huntress', 'the game animal', 'the wild one', as well as 'the harvest worker' and 'the summer'.

What does the name Tessa mean?

The female first name Tessa is an English short and pet form of Teresa, Theresa, and Theresia, which originally stem from the ancient Greek Therasia (Θηρεσία). Directly translated, the first name means 'the one from the island of Thera' (the present-day island of Santorini), 'the huntress', 'the game animal', 'the wild one', as well as 'the harvest worker' and 'the summer'. Its origin is not precisely clarified; its roots lie in ancient Greek, most likely in the word Thḗrā (Θήρᾱ) for the Aegean island Thira, now Santorini in Greece. However, it may also relate to the expressions thēráō (θηράω) for 'to hunt' or thēríon (θηρίον) for 'the animal, the wild animal, the game animal' or therízo (θερίζω) for 'to harvest, to mow' or perhaps in théros (θέρος) for 'summer'. Tessa is also ancient Greek and means 'the fourth' or 'the fourth child', derived from téssares (τέσσᾰρες), which translates to 'four'. Furthermore, there is a possible connection to Indo-European, with the elements 'ter-, tar-, tr-', which translate to 'to penetrate' or 'to rub'. The name became known through the veneration of Saint Therasia of Nola, who married Saint Paulinus of Nola and is seen as the first bearer of this name. Other variants include Tess, Tessi, Tessie, Tessia, Tessina, Tessje, and Tessy.

Where does the name Tessa come from?

Etymology Tessa is a female first name of ancient Greek origin meaning 'the one from the island of Thera' or 'the huntress'. Ancient Greek

How do you pronounce Tessa?

Sound & pronunciation of Tessa: The name Tessa is two syllables and clearly structured. In German pronunciation, it is usually pronounced as 'Tes-sa' [ˈtɛsa], starting with an open E sound that conveys directness. The doubling of the s emphasizes the middle of the name. The open ending '-a' gives the name lightness. Tessa feels modern and friendly - a name with a clear line and fresh radiance.

When is the name day of Tessa?

The name day of Tessa is July 13, August 9, August 26, October 1, and October 15.

Popularity

Tessa is a very popular first name in Germany. Currently, it ranks 223rd on the list of the most common female baby names. Its best placement was in 2009 at 154th. In the last ten years, Tessa has been given as a first name about 3,400 times, placing it 192nd in the ten-year statistics. From 2010 to 2024, it ranks 199th.

Nicknames & pet names

Essa / Messa / Tasse / Tazz / Tedda / Tedi / Teller / Tesa / Tesafilm / Teschki / Tesco / Tesja / Tesla / Tess / Tess-Tess / Tessalie / Tessaloni / Tessalonika / Tesschen / Tesser / Tessi / Tessie / Tessilein / Tessilus / Tessina / Tessini / Tessl / Tessolina / Tete / Tez / Tezza / Tezzy / Tilly / Trulla / Tussi

Similar first names

Famous people

• Tessa Allen (* 1996), American actress
• Tessa Bergmeier (* 1989), German model
• Tessa Biddington (English writer)
• Tessa Birnie (New Zealand musician)
• Tessa Blackstone, Baroness Blackstone (* 1942), British politician
• Tessa Bremmer (Dutch handball player)
• Tessa Cocx (* 1983), Dutch handball player
• Tessa Dahl (German writer)
• Tessa de Loo (writer)
• Tessa Ferrer (American actress)
• Tessa Gratton (writer)
• Tessa Gray (character from 'Clockwork Angel')
• Tessa Hofmann (writer from Germany)
• Tessa Humphries (actress from Australia)
• Tessa James (Australian actress)
• Tessa Kosta (American actress)
• Tessa Lavey (basketball player from Australia)
• Tessa McWatt (Canadian writer)
• Tessa Mittelstaedt (German actress)
• Tessa Morris-Suzuki (English historian)