Teresita

Meaning of Teresita

Teresita constitutes a diminutive form of Teresa within the Spanish onomastic tradition, itself believed to derive from the Greek therízō, meaning “to harvest,” or alternatively associated with the island of Therasia, whose Hellenic origins evoke the nomenclatural landscape of classical antiquity. Throughout the Hispanic world, Teresita has functioned as both an affectionate diminutive and an autonomous given name, its usage intertwined with devotional homages to St. Teresa of Ávila and St. Teresa of Lisieux within Catholic cultural practice. In the United States, data from the Social Security Administration indicate that Teresita’s occurrence has remained relatively modest yet stable, ranking 937th among female newborns in 2024 after a century in which its position oscillated between 465th and 960th, a trajectory that reflects the variable adoption of Hispanic-origin names in Anglo-American onomastic patterns. Onomastic scholars interpret this trend as emblematic of the resilience of Hispanic linguistic heritage amid evolving demographic landscapes. The name’s phonological composition, transcribed as [teh-reh-SEE-tah] in Spanish, adheres to Iberian prosodic conventions, preserving the trochaic stress pattern characteristic of its source language. Teresita’s formal register and ecclesiastical resonances render it particularly apt for families seeking a given name that encapsulates both historical depth and cultural specificity.

Pronunciation

Spanish

• Pronunced as teh-reh-SEE-tah (/teɛˈresita/)

• Terri
• Teresa
• Tessa
• Teri
• Therese
• Terina