Terressa
A feminine form of the name Teresa, meaning "harvester" from Greek origins.
Name Census estimates that about 326 living Americans carry the first name Terressa. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Terressa today is around 58 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Terressa births was 1960 (25 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Terressa. 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
326
~ 1 in 1,051,394 Americans
Peak year
1960
25 babies that year
Average age
58
years old
1994 SSA rank
#15,574
Tracked since 1921
Popularity
Terressa: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Terressa from the 1920s through to the 1990s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 144 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Terressa 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 Terressa during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Terressas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Terressa
The name Terressa is believed to have its origins in the Latin language, derived from the word "terra," meaning "earth" or "land." It is thought to have emerged during the Medieval period in various regions of Europe where Latin was prevalent, particularly in Italy and parts of Spain.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Terressa can be traced back to the 13th century, when it was mentioned in a collection of Italian poetry written by the renowned Florentine poet Dante Alighieri. In his work, Dante referenced a character named Terressa, although the specific context and significance of this reference remain unclear.
During the Renaissance period, which spanned from the 14th to the 17th century, the name Terressa gained popularity among the Italian nobility and was often bestowed upon daughters of wealthy families. One notable example is Terressa Borgia, born in 1480, who was a member of the powerful Borgia family and the daughter of Pope Alexander VI.
In the 16th century, the name Terressa also appeared in various Spanish historical records, indicating its spread across the Mediterranean region. One prominent figure bearing this name was Terressa de Jesús, a Spanish nun and mystic who lived from 1515 to 1582 and was known for her religious writings and teachings.
As the name Terressa continued to be used throughout Europe, it gained various spellings and variations, such as Teressa, Theresa, and Teresa. One of the most famous individuals with this name is Saint Teresa of Ávila, a Spanish mystic and reformer who lived from 1515 to 1582 and is renowned for her contributions to the Carmelite Order and her spiritual writings.
Another notable figure with the name Terressa was Terressa Carreno, a Venezuelan pianist and composer who lived from 1853 to 1917. She was widely celebrated for her virtuosic performances and compositions, and she played a significant role in promoting classical music in the United States.
While the name Terressa has its roots in ancient languages and cultures, it has endured through the centuries and has been carried by various influential individuals across different fields, including religion, literature, music, and nobility.
People
Terressa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Terressa 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
Terressa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Terressa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 326 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Terressa 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 1,051,394 US residents.
Is Terressa a common name?
We classify Terressa as "Very Rare". It ranks above 80.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 401 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Terressa most popular?
The single biggest year for Terressa was 1960, when 25 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Terressa is about 58 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Terressa a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Terressa 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.