Teresa
Meaning of Teresa
Teresa drifts into the nursery like a soft Mediterranean breeze, her vowels dancing between Spanish “teh-REH-sah,” Italian “teh-REH-zah,” and the English “tuh-REE-suh.” She traces her roots to the Greek island of Therasia—some scholars link the name to “therízō,” “to harvest”—so she carries the quiet promise of ripening fields and late-summer sun. In story after story, Teresa appears as a woman of luminous resolve: the mystic Teresa of Ávila sparring wittily with heaven, Mother Teresa cradling Calcutta’s forgotten, even little “Thérèse” of Lisieux sprinkling her “little flowers” of kindness. No wonder American parents harvested the name with gusto in the mid-1960s, when Teresa waltzed well inside the Top 25; today she rests around the 600s, waiting, perhaps, for another season in the spotlight. Elegant yet grounded, saintly yet spirited, Teresa offers a child a passport stamped with faith, compassion, and a hint of Iberian spice—proof that a classic can still twirl her castanets when the lullaby begins.
Pronunciation
Spanish
- Pronunced as teh-REH-sah (/teˈɾesa/)
Italian
- Pronunced as teh-REH-zah (/teˈreːza/)
English
- Pronunced as tuh-REE-suh (/təˈriːsə/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Teresa
| Teresa of Ávila was a Spanish Carmelite nun, mystic, and religious reformer. |
| Teresa Mary Palmer is an Australian actress and model who made her film debut in Wolf Creek and has appeared in various movies including The Sorcerer's Apprentice and I Am Number Four. |
| María Teresa Carreño was a Venezuelan virtuoso pianist and composer celebrated as the "Valkyrie of the Piano." |
| Muriel Teresa Wright was an Oscar-winning actress acclaimed for her role in Mrs. Miniver and performances in films like Shadow of a Doubt. |
| Teresa A. Sullivan - Teresa Ann "Terry" Sullivan is an American sociologist celebrated for her leadership as president of the University of Virginia. |
| Teresa Ribera Rodríguez is a Spanish jurist and politician who currently serves as the First Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for a Clean, Just, and Competitive Transition since 2024. |
| Teresa Berganza Vargas was a Spanish mezzo-soprano celebrated for her iconic roles in Rossini and Bizet operas, renowned for her technical mastery and captivating stage presence. |
| Teresa Stratas is a retired Canadian operatic soprano of Greek descent, best known for her award-winning recording of Alban Berg's Lulu. |
| Teresa Brewer was a highly popular and prolific American singer in the 1950s, known for recording around 600 songs across genres like pop, country, and jazz. |
| Teresa Ellen Gorman was a British Conservative MP renowned for her pivotal role in the Maastricht Treaty rebellions that nearly toppled John Major's government. |
| María Teresa Wilms Montt was a Chilean writer, poet, and anarcha-feminist influential in early 20th-century literary circles. |
| Teresa Pàmies Bertran was a Spanish writer who authored works in Catalan. |
| Teresa Silva is a pioneering Spanish elite sportswoman with disabilities who founded Fundación También and has achieved championship success in adapted skiing and sailing. |
| Teresa Diane Earnhardt is the widow of Dale Earnhardt, a former NASCAR team owner, and the mother of Taylor Nicole Earnhardt and stepmother to Kerry, Kelley, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. |
| Teresa Amabile - Teresa M. Amabile is the Edsel Bryant Ford Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. |
