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Theresa as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Theresa

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The baby name Theresa is a Girl name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced thə-REE-sə.

Theresa is English, Greek, Late Roman, Portuguese, Spanish in Origin.

Gender: Girl
Syllables: 3
Origin: English, Greek, Late Roman, Portuguese, Spanish
Pronunciation: thə-REE-sə

What is the meaning of the name Theresa ?

The baby name Theresa is a girl name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced thə-REE-sə.

Theresa is English, Greek, Late Roman, Portuguese, Spanish in Origin.

Theresa is the English spelling of Teresa, a Spanish and Portuguese form ultimately traceable to Late Roman Therasia, recorded in the 4th century for the wife of Saint Paulinus of Nola. Its root is uncertain. Ancient explanations connect it with Greek θέρος (theros), summer, or θερίζω (therízō), to reap or harvest; another possibility is an ethnonymic formation from Therasia, the western island of Santorini.

Medieval use was concentrated in Iberia, especially Spain and Portugal, before the cult of Saint Teresa of Ávila carried the name into broader Catholic Europe after the 16th century. French Thérèse, German and Dutch Theresia, Slavic Tereza and Terezija, Hungarian Teréz, and Irish Toiréasa show its later adaptation. Maria Theresa of Austria fixed a Habsburg association in the 18th century. In English, Theresa and Teresa both peaked in mid-20th-century American naming, with Theresa falling sharply after the 1960s.

Theresa has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Theresa

Theresa May Politician · Born 1956 · United Kingdom Theresa May served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2016 to 2019, becoming the second woman to hold the office after Margaret Thatcher. She is most famous for her role in navigating the complexities of Brexit during her tenure. Before becoming Prime Minister, she was the Home Secretary from 2010 to 2016. Theresa Randle Actor · Born 1964 · United States Theresa Randle is an American retired actress best known for her roles in the Bad Boys films, Malcolm X, and Space Jam. She also appeared in movies like Beverly Hills Cop III and Spawn.

Theresa – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2024 #1 — 911
Germany Girls 2025 #1 — 411
FJ Girls 0 #9 1 583
KR Girls 0 #14 2 572
BW 0 #18 2 960
Austria Girls 2024 #35 200 60
MT 0 #43 1 1,767
MO 0 #46 7 2,706
PR 0 #55 1 1,497
CM 0 #56 1 2,592
LU 0 #64 3 2,830
MT Girls 0 #68 88 3,773
JM 0 #71 17 3,714
GH Girls 0 #74 739 6,973
PH 0 #75 22 5,607
JP 0 #77 1 4,057
BG 0 #82 1 1,799
CN 0 #83 4 3,857
Austria Girls 0 #86 1,023 1,885
TW 0 #90 11 4,523
Austria 0 #91 159 850
KZ 0 #94 1 1,452
BN Girls 0 #97 10 5,459
ID Girls 0 #101 2 3,319
QA 0 #101 6 7,011
GH 0 #109 161 5,396
BW Girls 0 #112 37 4,216
JM Girls 0 #115 176 7,507
KW 0 #116 6 5,216
OM 0 #118 4 6,215
CY Girls 0 #119 7 3,755
Norway Girls 2013 #124 5 510
GR 0 #132 4 3,911
Switzerland Girls 2024 #134 2 1,786
MU 0 #135 3 3,613
NG Girls 0 #140 2,528 15,093
CR 0 #148 11 5,526
BW Boys 0 #154 1 4,685
PR Girls 0 #162 6 3,171
ZA Girls 0 #162 3,527 25,928
Germany Girls 0 #163 2,244 4,949
AE 0 #168 10 10,220
SI Girls 0 #176 2 2,769
SG Girls 0 #178 662 18,916
DK 0 #181 23 5,198
SG 0 #181 89 11,010
Sweden Girls 2021 #182 2 1,666
CZ 0 #183 4 3,154
LU Girls 0 #187 4 4,850
NA Girls 0 #188 37 7,146
RU 0 #190 5 3,641
MO Girls 0 #194 58 7,056
Germany 0 #204 296 2,542
NG 0 #205 60 5,926
AO Girls 0 #211 7 4,575
PL 0 #212 1 2,600
PH Girls 0 #217 186 13,098
ZA 0 #221 232 14,421
HU Girls 0 #225 1 3,308
PS 0 #225 2 5,692
DK Girls 0 #230 88 7,429
IR 0 #230 2 4,221
TW Girls 0 #230 47 8,139
JP Girls 0 #234 12 6,592
MO Boys 0 #234 1 5,842
GR Girls 0 #247 3 6,293
PT 0 #247 4 4,161
MY 0 #251 80 12,352
NA Boys 0 #251 3 6,830
EC Girls 0 #257 2 3,650
QA Girls 0 #265 52 15,378
Canada Girls 2024 #270 16 2,795
SA 0 #279 17 10,560
IL 0 #281 2 6,291
HK 0 #286 63 8,483
JM Boys 0 #293 1 6,876
MY Girls 0 #299 1,190 24,821
CN Girls 0 #300 50 8,829
HK Girls 0 #303 385 16,104
JO Girls 0 #315 11 7,570
CZ Girls 0 #318 24 5,378
PE 0 #328 2 6,350
GH Boys 0 #329 17 8,138
KZ Girls 0 #332 1 5,862
KW Girls 0 #340 177 19,177
OM Girls 0 #342 55 15,987
Finland Girls 0 #352 40 1,368
SD Girls 0 #352 7 7,678
MU Girls 0 #355 8 8,539
BR 0 #360 1 5,969
PL Girls 0 #363 2 5,096
NL 0 #375 17 2,481
PT Boys 0 #381 1 7,951
France Girls 2020 #391 4 3,215
EG 0 #391 10 6,387
YE 0 #397 2 8,639
AE Girls 0 #403 151 20,968
BD Girls 0 #405 2 8,413
BO 0 #407 2 6,868
CM Girls 0 #424 118 11,671
PT Girls 0 #432 20 7,952
CL 0 #433 2 6,867
CR Girls 0 #442 91 11,342
MX 0 #444 2 8,339
LB 0 #452 216 13,263
PS Girls 0 #499 25 10,981
BH 0 #502 52 17,937
CR Boys 0 #509 2 10,188
CO 0 #510 1 7,768
IR Girls 0 #512 19 8,334
PA Girls 0 #517 2 9,861
RU Girls 0 #517 7 11,913
RU Boys 0 #520 7 12,621
IQ Girls 0 #523 3 11,303
UY Girls 0 #535 2 6,731
GT Girls 0 #541 1 7,500
LY 0 #553 7 12,703
HK Boys 0 #557 1 12,905
CM Boys 0 #570 6 12,054
Finland Girls 2026 #594 152 3,895
IL Girls 0 #594 24 11,648
BD Boys 0 #605 1 10,045
IN Girls 0 #621 11 13,121
AR Girls 0 #629 2 8,289
BO Girls 0 #649 3 9,488
IT 0 #665 50 4,183
SA Girls 0 #684 252 25,931
IQ Boys 0 #697 1 13,071
SG Boys 0 #733 7 17,960
SY 0 #766 2 11,684
United States Girls 2024 #772 145 8,487
NL Girls 0 #775 181 5,933
KW Boys 0 #801 6 18,755
EG Girls 0 #860 100 14,742
TN 0 #861 5 13,765
BR Girls 0 #874 68 12,708
CL Girls 0 #909 7 14,098
Spain Girls 0 #911 73 5,561
NG Boys 0 #913 39 16,906
OM Boys 0 #913 6 17,948
PE Girls 0 #925 19 14,861
IT Girls 0 #1,003 467 9,415
IN Boys 0 #1,039 1 16,750
CO Girls 0 #1,061 18 16,140
MY Boys 0 #1,096 16 25,439
MA 0 #1,115 14 20,986
MX Girls 0 #1,118 66 17,781
ZA Boys 0 #1,126 53 25,619
AE Boys 0 #1,141 3 22,615
DZ 0 #1,231 4 20,130
TR 0 #1,247 8 19,440
SA Boys 0 #1,602 13 28,008

Theresa is popular in 82 countries — most recent births per country:

France
Ireland
Austria
Canada
Norway

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Theresa

Theresa is a unisex name, given to both boys and girls.
Theresa is a 3 syllable name, pronounced thə-REE-sə.
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Teresa, Theresia, Therese, Thérèse, Tereza and Terezia.
Yes, very popular — Theresa ranked #1 in Ireland in 2024, and appears in official birth registries across 11 countries.
Theresa ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2024).
Yes — 2 notable people named Theresa are in our database, including Theresa May (Politician), Theresa Randle (Actor).