Theresa
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Origin of the name Theresa:
Of uncertain etymology, Teresa is generally believed to be derived from the Greek therizein (to reap, to gather in) and thus takes the definition of “harvester.” The first known bearer of the name was the Spanish wife of St. Paulinus, a 5th century Roman bishop of Nola. Teresa was not used outside the Iberian Peninsula until the 16th century, when the fame of St. Teresa of Avila (1515—82) made the name popular among Roman Catholics throughout Europe.
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Reader Contributions
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- Comments and insights on the name Theresa: | Edit
Alternate pronunciation is teh-RAY-suh
- Personal experiences with the name Theresa: | Edit
My adopted mother's name was Theresa. I always thought she was one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen.
My daughter's name is Andrea and she was my grandparents first great-grandchild. My grandfather, however, could not remember what we had named the baby so he referred to her a few times in conversation as "Theresa." My grandmother kept correcting him until one day he angrily told her that if he wanted to call the baby Theresa that was his choice. From then on, he called my daughter Theresa, addressed all his cards and letters to Theresa, etc. He never once called her by her real name and no one else in the family ever called her Theresa, so that was his special name for her and she loved that they had that special bond.
- Nicknames for Theresa: | Edit
Terry, Tess, Tessa, Tressa, Tea, Tracy, Terri, Resa, Reese, Resey
- Meanings and history of the name Theresa: | Edit
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- Famous real-life people named Theresa: | Edit
Maria Theresa, Empress of Austro-Hungarian Empire, and numerous archduchesses of the same name
Theresa Saldana, American actress and victims' rights advocate
Theresa Russell, American actress- Theresa in song, story & screen: | Edit
Theresa (novel), a novel by Arthur Schnitzler
Theresa Rourke Cassidy, the alter-ego of the Marvel Comics heroine Siryn
Name Lists Featuring This Name
NameVoyager US Popularity of Theresa Over Time
NameMapper Current Popularity of Theresa by State
Global Popularity of the Name Theresa
- #24 in Austria
- #79 in Germany
- #852 in United States
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