Taressa
A feminine name of unknown origin, possibly derived from Greek meaning "protector".
Name Census estimates that about 335 living Americans carry the first name Taressa. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Taressa today is around 43 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Taressa births was 1979 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Taressa. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
335
~ 1 in 1,023,147 Americans
Peak year
1979
19 babies that year
Average age
43
years old
2004 SSA rank
#18,545
Tracked since 1960
Popularity
Taressa: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Taressa from the 1960s through to the 2000s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 100 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Taressa by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Taressa during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Taressa
The given name Taressa is a relatively modern invention, with no clear established roots in any particular language or culture. Its origins and etymology remain largely obscure, with scant evidence of its usage throughout history.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Taressa can be traced back to a character in the 1795 novel "The Wanderer; or, Female Difficulties" by the English writer Fanny Burney. The character, a young woman named Taressa, plays a minor role in the novel's narrative. However, Burney provides little insight into the origin or significance of the name itself.
In the late 19th century, a woman named Taressa Pankhurst (1857-1928) made a notable appearance in historical records. She was a British suffragette and a member of the influential Pankhurst family, known for their activism in the women's suffrage movement. Taressa Pankhurst's involvement in the struggle for women's voting rights earned her a place in the annals of British history.
Another historical figure bearing the name Taressa was Taressa Kerr (1891-1975), an American actress and vaudeville performer. She was active in the early 20th century and is remembered for her contributions to the entertainment industry during its formative years.
In the realm of literature, Taressa Meiklejohn (1912-1998) was a Scottish novelist and short story writer. She published several works of fiction throughout her career, including the novel "The Watchers" in 1957, which garnered critical acclaim.
A more contemporary figure named Taressa Pryor (born 1962) is an American politician who served as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives from 2009 to 2017, representing the 94th district.
Despite these scattered instances of notable individuals bearing the name Taressa, its overall historical significance and cultural roots remain largely elusive. The name appears to be a relatively modern coinage, with no clear linguistic or etymological origins that can be definitively traced back to ancient texts, religious scriptures, or historical records.
People
Taressa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Taressa as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Taressa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Taressa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 335 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Taressa going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,023,147 US residents.
Is Taressa a common name?
We classify Taressa as "Very Rare". It ranks above 80.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 362 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Taressa most popular?
The single biggest year for Taressa was 1979, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Taressa is about 43 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Taressa a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Taressa in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.