Teresia
A feminine name of Greek origin meaning "harvester" or "worker".
Name Census estimates that about 837 living Americans carry the first name Teresia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Teresia today is around 64 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Teresia births was 1956 (68 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Teresia. 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
837
~ 1 in 409,503 Americans
Peak year
1956
68 babies that year
Average age
64
years old
1994 SSA rank
#11,683
Tracked since 1915
Popularity
Teresia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Teresia from the 1910s through to the 1990s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 443 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Teresia 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 Teresia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Teresias live
The SSA's state-level files cover 11 states and territories. Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi recorded the most babies named Teresia, while Virginia, Louisiana, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 20 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Teresia
The name Teresia has its origins in Ancient Greek, derived from the word "therizo," meaning "to harvest." It is a feminine variant of the male name Therisios, which was popular in ancient Greek mythology and literature.
Teresia can be traced back to the 3rd century BC, where it was mentioned in the works of the Greek poet Callimachus. In his poem "Hymn to Demeter," he referred to the goddess of agriculture as "Theresia," alluding to her role in overseeing the harvest.
The name gained further prominence in the early Christian era, with the martyrdom of Saint Theresia of Avila in the 4th century AD. She was a young Spanish woman who refused to renounce her faith during the Roman persecutions and was subsequently executed. Her story inspired many early Christians and contributed to the popularity of the name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Teresia is found in the writings of Saint Augustine, the renowned philosopher and theologian of the 4th and 5th centuries. He mentioned a woman named Teresia in his work "City of God," describing her as a devout Christian and a model of virtue.
Throughout history, several notable women have borne the name Teresia. Teresia of Avila (1515-1582) was a Spanish mystic, writer, and reformer of the Carmelite Order, recognized as a Doctor of the Church. Her autobiographical work, "The Life of Teresia of Avila," is considered a classic of Christian literature.
Teresia Higginson (1844-1923) was an American author and social reformer, known for her work in the women's suffrage movement and her advocacy for social justice. She was a prominent member of the New England Women's Club and contributed to numerous publications.
Teresia Carpio (1888-1919) was a Filipino revolutionary and feminist, who played a significant role in the Philippine Revolution against Spanish colonial rule. She is celebrated as a national heroine for her bravery and dedication to the cause of independence.
Teresia Teng (1953-1995) was a renowned Taiwanese singer-songwriter, often referred to as the "Queen of Mandarin Pop." Her music blended traditional Chinese melodies with contemporary styles, and she remains an iconic figure in the Mandarin music industry.
Teresia May (1957-) is a British politician and former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, serving from 2016 to 2019. She played a pivotal role in negotiating the terms of Britain's withdrawal from the European Union, a process known as "Brexit."
People
Teresia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Teresia 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
Teresia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Teresia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 837 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Teresia 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 409,503 US residents.
Is Teresia a common name?
We classify Teresia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,133 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Teresia most popular?
The single biggest year for Teresia was 1956, when 68 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Teresia is about 64 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Teresia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Teresia 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.