Tessa
Tessa is a feminine given name, sometimes a shortened form of Theresa. It may refer to:
Meaning & Origin of Tessa
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Tessa is a feminine given name, sometimes a shortened form of Theresa. It may refer to:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Tessa
Tessa first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1891, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2007, when 1,753 Tessas were born — ranking #190 that year. As of 2026, Tessa ranks #325 for baby girls with 960 births, falling sharply (-20%). In total, more than 57K Tessas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1890s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Tessa
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Tessa (rapper) (born 1997), Danish rapper
- Tessa Albertson (born 1996), American actress
- Tessa Balfour, Countess of Balfour (born 1950), British aristocrat
- Tessa Blanchard (born 1995), American professional wrestler
- Tessa Bonhomme (born 1985), Canadian ice hockey player
- Tessa Brooks (born 1999), American musician and influencer
- Tessa Dahl (born 1957), English author and actress
- Tessa Dare , American novelist
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Tessa
Phonetically similar names — useful when Tessa is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Tessa
What does the name Tessa mean?
How popular is Tessa in 2026?
When was Tessa most popular?
In which U.S. states is Tessa most popular?
Is Tessa a unisex name?
What names go well with Tessa?
About the name Tessa
Tessa is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1891 and has accumulated 57K births in the dataset. Tessa's peak popularity came in 2007 when it ranked #190. Use the chart and map above to compare Tessa's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2007 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "T" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.