Teresa

This article is about the feminine given name. For other uses, see Teresa (disambiguation).

Teresa

Gender	feminine

Teresa, Theresa, and Therese (French: Thérèse) are feminine given names. The name is thought to be derived from the Greek verb therizein, meaning to harvest. Some common diminutives or nicknames for Teresa include Terri, Tess, Tessie, Tessa, Teesie, Reese, Tisa, Tree, Taz, T, and Tressie. Teresita is the diminutive form of Teresa in Spanish.

The meaning of the name Theresa, or Teresa, is "one who reaps". The name implies one who is destined to work hard, but who will receive great bounty for her efforts. The name is associated with the fall season of the earth's life cycle: a time of harvest, of plenty, of purposeful labors, of warmth and generosity. Theresa shares her harvest with the world, as the earth has given its fruits to Theresa, thus respecting and supporting the natural cycle of life.

The popularity of this name in America over the last 15 years is falling, according to the US Census. Spelled "Theresa", it was ranked as the 717th most popular name for girls born in 2006, down from 226th in 1992 (it ranked 65th in 1950, and 102nd in 1900). Spelled "Teresa", it was the 535th most popular name for girls born in 2006, down from 206th in 1992 (it ranked 81st in 1950, and 220th in 1900).

Notable people

In aristocracy:

• Teresa Lubomirska, Polish noble lady
• Teresa of the Two Sicilies
• Teresa of Portugal
• Maria Theresa (disambiguation)

In religion:

• Mother Teresa, Albanian nun, Nobel Laureate
• Saint Teresa (disambiguation)
• Teresa Chikaba, Guinean princess declared as Venerable by the Catholic Church
• Thérèse de Lisieux, Roman Catholic Carmelite nun who was canonized as a saint
• Teresa Demjanovich, American Roman Catholic nun

In the arts:

• Teresa Berganza, Spanish opera singer
• Teresa Brewer, American pop and jazz singer
• Teresa Carpenter, Pulitzer prize winning American author
• Teresa Carpio, Cantopop singer and actress
• Teresa Carreño, Venezuelan musician
• Teresa Cheung, Hong Kong socialite and actress
• Teresa Edgerton, American author of fantasy novels and short stories
• Theresa Fu, Hong Kong singer and actress
• Therese Grankvist, Swedish singer
• Teresa Graves, American actress and singer
• Teresa Medeiros, American romance novelist
• Teresa Nielsen Hayden, American writer and teacher
• Teresa Parente, American actress
• Teresa Ranieri, contemporary dance choreographer and lecturer
• Theresa Russell, American actress
• Teresa Salgueiro, Portuguese singer
• Teresa Simas, Portuguese dancer and choreographer
• Teresa Stratas, Canadian soprano
• Teresa Teng, Chinese pop singer
• Teresa Tunay, Filipino writer
• Teresa Villaverde, Portuguese film director
• Lady Teresa Waugh, British novelist and translator
• Teresa Wentzler, American artist and counted cross-stitch designer
• Teresa Wright, Academy Award-winning American actress
• Teresa Żarnowerówna, Polish avant-garde artist

In politics:

• Teresa Gutierrez, American politician
• Teresa Heinz, widow of the late U.S. Senator H. John Heinz III, and the wife of Senator John Kerry
• Teresa Isaac, American politician, former mayer of Lexington, Kentucky
• Teresa Kok, Malaysian Member of Parliament

In sports:

• Therese Crawford, American volleyball player
• Teresa Ciepły, Polish sprinter
• Teresa Earnhardt, widow of racing legend Dale Earnhardt
• Teresa Edwards, American basketball player
• Teresa Machado, Portuguese athlete
• Teresa Piccini, Mexican ten-pin bowler
• Teresa Rivera, Mexican swimmer
• Theresa Zabell, Spanish sailor

In others:

• Teresa Cormack, murder victim from New Zealand
• Teresa Sickles, wife of Daniel Edgar Sickles, who stood trial for killing her lover
• Vincent Teresa, American mobster
• Theresa Broniak, United States Navy Sailor

Fictional people

• Teresa Bryant, character on the British soap opera Coronation Street
• Teresa Cammeniti, character on the Australian soap opera Neighbours
• Theresa Rourke Cassidy, the alter-ego of the Marvel Comics heroine Siryn
• Teresa Moreno, wife of Richard Sharpe in Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe series of historical fiction
• Teresa of the Faint Smile, one of the main characters in the popular anime and manga series Claymore
• Teresa Wisemail, a character from the PlayStation role-playing game Suikoden II