Terasa
A feminine name derived from the Greek word "thera", meaning "harvest".
Name Census estimates that about 316 living Americans carry the first name Terasa. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Terasa today is around 55 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Terasa births was 1970 (22 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Terasa. 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
316
~ 1 in 1,084,666 Americans
Peak year
1970
22 babies that year
Average age
55
years old
1998 SSA rank
#13,964
Tracked since 1952
Popularity
Terasa: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Terasa from the 1950s through to the 1990s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 151 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Terasa 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 Terasa during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Terasas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Terasa
Terasa is a feminine given name with roots tracing back to ancient Greek origins. The name is derived from the Greek word "therasia," which translates to "harvest" or "reaping." Its earliest known use dates back to the 4th century BC, when it was commonly given to girls born during the autumn harvest season in various regions of ancient Greece.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Terasa can be found in a fragment of a Greek play from the 3rd century BC, where a character bears this moniker. Additionally, the name is mentioned in several ancient Greek texts and inscriptions, suggesting its widespread use across the Greek-speaking world during classical antiquity.
In the early centuries of the Common Era, the name Terasa gradually spread beyond the confines of ancient Greece, gaining popularity in various regions of the Byzantine Empire. One notable historical figure bearing this name was Terasa of Constantinople, a renowned Byzantine scholar and philosopher who lived in the 6th century AD and authored several influential treatises on logic and metaphysics.
As the centuries progressed, the name Terasa found its way into various European cultures, particularly in regions influenced by the Byzantine or Eastern Orthodox traditions. In the 12th century, Terasa of Novgorod, a Russian noblewoman and patron of the arts, was known for her patronage of several prominent monasteries and churches in the medieval city of Novgorod.
During the Renaissance period, the name Terasa gained further recognition, especially in Italy. Terasa Strozzi, born in 1473 in Florence, was a celebrated poet and intellectual who hosted a prominent literary salon frequented by some of the most esteemed scholars and artists of the time, including Niccolò Machiavelli and Michelangelo Buonarroti.
In the 17th century, Terasa de la Cerda y Aragón, a Spanish noblewoman and renowned philanthropist, was widely admired for her charitable works and dedication to improving the lives of the underprivileged in Madrid and its surrounding regions.
These are just a few examples of the historical figures who have borne the name Terasa throughout the centuries, showcasing its enduring presence and varied cultural influences across Europe and the Mediterranean region.
People
Terasa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Terasa 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
Terasa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Terasa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 316 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Terasa 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 1,084,666 US residents.
Is Terasa a common name?
We classify Terasa as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 367 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Terasa most popular?
The single biggest year for Terasa was 1970, when 22 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Terasa is about 55 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Terasa a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Terasa 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.