Tessa
Say it: TES-a/ˈtɛsə/
GirlMeans a short form of Teresa, whose meaning is uncertain5 letters2 syllables
#189
in Ireland (2025)
#192 with spellings combined
23
babies in 2025
#162
best rank (2019)
418
babies since 1979
Up 23
10-year rank change
Tessa through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 23 | #192 |
| 2024 | 23 | #193 |
| 2023 | 20 | #212 |
| 2022 | 18 | #240 |
| 2021 | 24 | #201 |
| 2020 | 27 | #172 |
| 2019 | 32 | #162 |
| 2018 | 26 | #194 |
| 2017 | 19 | #249 |
| 2016 | 13 | #336 |
| 2015 | 24 | #215 |
| 2014 | 17 | #291 |
| 2013 | 16 | #305 |
| 2012 | 11 | #416 |
| 2011 | 11 | #418 |
| 2010 | 9 | #477 |
| 2009 | 11 | #412 |
| 2008 | 9 | #471 |
| 2007 | 12 | #350 |
| 2006 | 9 | #396 |
| 2005 | 5 | #524 |
| 2004 | 3 | #677 |
| 2003 | 4 | #559 |
| 2002 | 3 | #620 |
| 2001 | 4 | #498 |
| 2000 | 4 | #465 |
| 1999 | 6 | #356 |
| 1997 | 6 | #394 |
| 1996 | 3 | #534 |
| 1995 | 4 | #451 |
| 1994 | 8 | #329 |
| 1992 | 5 | #416 |
| 1987 | 3 | #488 |
| 1984 | 3 | #516 |
| 1979 | 3 | #523 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Tessa mean?
A short form of Teresa, whose meaning is uncertain
English, a short form of Teresa.
Say it right
TESa
The story of Tessa
Tessa began as a short form of Teresa, and is now given as a name in its own right. Teresa itself is an old Spanish and Portuguese name whose meaning is not known for certain. It spread across Catholic Europe, and to Ireland, largely through Saint Teresa of Ávila, the sixteenth-century Spanish nun and writer.
Tessa is lighter and shorter than Teresa, and it sits well beside names like Stella and Clara. Tess is a common short form, and also a separate name in its own right.
Tessa first appears in the CSO records in 1979, with 3 girls, and it stayed rare into the 2000s. It grew in the 2010s and peaked in 2019, when 32 girls got the name and it reached number 162. In 2025 it was number 189, with 23 babies. The CSO counts Tessa and Tess separately.
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Sources
- Wiktionary: Tessa (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Tessa
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, First Forenames Given to Babies Registered in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Nicknames
Tess
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Tessa | 23 | 418 |
In Northern Ireland
#231 in 2025 with 7 babies. Best rank #212 (2020); 66 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.