Teresa (also Theresa, Therese; french: Thérèse) is a feminine given name. It originates in the Iberian Peninsula in late antiquity. Its derivation is uncertain, it may be derived from

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

θερίζω (''therízō'') "to

harvest Harvesting is the process of gathering a ripe crop from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper. On smaller farms with minimal mechanization, harvesting is the most lab ...

or reap", or from θέρος (''theros'') "summer". It is first recorded in the form ''Therasia'', the name of Therasia of Nola, an aristocrat of the 4th century. Its popularity outside of Iberia increased because of saint

Teresa of Ávila Teresa of Ávila, OCD (born Teresa Sánchez de Cepeda y Ahumada; 28 March 15154 or 15 October 1582), also called Saint Teresa of Jesus, was a Spanish Carmelite nun and prominent Spanish mystic and religious reformer. Active during the ...

, and more recently

Thérèse of Lisieux Thérèse of Lisieux (french: Thérèse de Lisieux ), born Marie Françoise-Thérèse Martin (2 January 1873 – 30 September 1897), also known as Saint Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face (), was a French Catholic Discalced Carmelit ...

and Mother Teresa. In the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

it was ranked as the 852nd most popular name for girls born in 2008, down from 226th in 1992 (it ranked 65th in 1950, and 102nd in 1900). Spelled "Teresa," it was the 580th most popular name for girls born in 2008, down from 206th in 1992 (it ranked 81st in 1950, and 220th in 1900).

People

In aristocracy: * Teresa of Portugal (disambiguation) **

Theresa, Countess of Portugal Theresa ( Portuguese: ''Teresa''; Galician-Portuguese: ''Tareja'' or ''Tareixa''; Latin: ''Tarasia'') (1080 – 11 November 1130) was Countess of Portugal, and for a time claimant to be its independent Queen. She rebelled against her half-s ...

(1080–1130), mother of Afonso Henriques, the first King of Portugal **

Theresa of Portugal, Countess of Flanders Theresa of Portugal ( pt, Teresa or ''Tereza'', ; Archaic Portuguese: ''Tarasia''; 11511218) was Countess of Flanders by marriage to Philip I, Count of Flanders, and Duchess of Burgundy by marriage to Odo III, Duke of Burgundy. She was the da ...

(1157–1218), daughter of Afonso Henriques and wife of Philip, Count of Flanders ** Theresa of Portugal, Queen of León (1181–1250), daughter of Sancho I of Portugal and wife of Alfonso IX of León ** Infanta Maria Teresa of Braganza (1793-1874), firstborn child of John VI of Portugal *

Teresa Lubomirska Princess Teresa Katharina Lubomirska (1 January 1685 – 6 January 1712) was a Polish noblewoman.http://genealogia.grocholski.pl/gd/osoba.php?id=018696 She was the second spouse of Count Palatine Charles Philip of Neuburg, who became Elect ...

, Polish noble lady *

Teresa of the Two Sicilies Dona Teresa Cristina (14 March 182228 December 1889), nicknamed "the Mother of the Brazilians", was the Empress consort of Emperor Dom Pedro II of Brazil, who reigned from 1831 to 1889. Born a Princess of the Kingdom of the Two Sici ...

, Empress-consort of Brazil *

Teresa, Contessa Guiccioli Teresa, Contessa Guiccioli (1800–1873) was the married lover of Lord Byron while he was living in Ravenna and writing the first five cantos of ''Don Juan Don Juan (), also known as Don Giovanni ( Italian), is a legendary, fictional Sp ...

(1800–1873), the married lover of Lord Byron in Ravenna In the arts: *

Teresa Berganza Teresa Berganza Vargas OAXS (16 March 1933 – 13 May 2022) was a Spanish mezzo-soprano. She is most closely associated with roles such as Rossini's Rosina and La Cenerentola, and later Bizet's Carmen, admired for her technical virtuosity, ...

, Spanish opera singer *

Teresa Brewer Teresa Brewer (born Theresa Veronica Breuer; May 7, 1931 – October 17, 2007) was an American singer whose style incorporated pop, country, jazz, R&B, musicals, and novelty songs. She was one of the most prolific and popular female singers of th ...

, American pop and jazz singer *

Teresa Carpenter Teresa Carpenter (born 1948) is an American author. Her awards include the Pulitzer Prize for best feature writing. Biography Teresa Carpenter was born in Independence, Missouri. She lives with her husband Steven Levy in New York's Greenwich Vil ...

, Pulitzer Prize-winning American author *

Teresa Carpio Teresa Carpio (born 30 September 1956) is a Hong Kong English- and Cantonese-language pop singer, actress, and singing teacher. Carpio was popular in Hong Kong during the 1970s and 1980s. She is the paternal cousin of actress and singer Rita Ca ...

, Cantopop singer and actress *

Teresa Carreño María Teresa Gertrudis de Jesús Carreño García (December 22, 1853June 12, 1917) was a Venezuelan pianist, soprano, composer, and conductor. Over the course of her 54-year concert career, she became an internationally renowned virtuoso pi ...

, Venezuelan musician *

Teresa Cheung (socialite) Teresa Cheung Siu-wai () (born June 10, 1963) is a Canadian actress and producer. Early life Born in Hong Kong to parents of Shanghainese descent, Cheung appeared in her first advertisement at the age of three. She was born in a scholarly fam ...

, Hong Kong socialite and actress * Teresa De Sio, Italian folk singer-songwriter * Teresa Edgerton, American author of fantasy novels and short stories * Theresa Fu, Hong Kong singer and actress * Teresa Gallagher, British actress *

Therese Grankvist Therese Grankvist (born 2 May 1977) is a Swedish singer and songwriter. She started recording in 1997 under the Drömhus alias, and goes by Therese since the release of her single "Monkey" in 2002. She may be best known for her internationally ...

, Swedish singer * Teresa Graves, American actress and singer *

Theresa Harris Theresa Harris (December 31, 1906 – October 8, 1985) was an American television and film actress, singer and dancer. Early life Harris was born on New Year's Eve 1906 (some sources indicate 1909) in Houston, Texas, to Isaiah and Mable Harris, ...

, American actress, dancer and singer * Theresa Ikoko, British playwright * Teresa Medeiros, American romance novelist * Teresa Nielsen Hayden, American writer and teacher *

Teresa Palmer Teresa Mary Palmer (born 26 February 1986) is an Australian actress. She began her career with roles in ''Bedtime Stories'' (2008), '' The Sorcerer's Apprentice'' (2010), '' Take Me Home Tonight'' (2011), and '' I Am Number Four'' (2011). She r ...

, Australian actress * Teresa Parente, American actress *

Theresa Randle Theresa E. Randle (born December 27, 1964) is an American actress. She has appeared in films such as ''Malcolm X'' (1992), '' Sugar Hill'', ''Beverly Hills Cop III'' (both 1994), '' Girl 6'', ''Space Jam'' (both 1996), ''Spawn'' (1997) and the '' ...

, American actress *

Teresa Reichlen Teresa Reichlen (born ) is an American ballet dancer. She joined the New York City Ballet in 2001, was promoted to principal dancer in 2009, and retired in 2022. Early life Reichlen was born in Clifton, Virginia. She has three brothers. When sh ...

, American ballet dancer * Theresa Russell, American actress * Theresa Saldana, American actress * Teresa Salgueiro, Portuguese singer * Theresa Sokyrka, Canadian singer-songwriter * Teresa Stratas, Canadian soprano * Teresa Teng, Taiwanese queen of pop * Teresa Villaverde, Portuguese film director * Lady Teresa Waugh, British novelist and translator * Teresa Wright, Academy Award-winning American actress *

Teresa Żarnowerówna Teresa Żarnowerówna (or Żarnower; – April 30, 1949) was a Polish avant-garde artist, painter, sculptor, scenographer, and architect. Personal life Teresa Żarnowerówna was born in Targówek, Warsaw in either 1895 or 1897 (sources cann ...

, Polish avant-garde artist In politics: * Theresa Ahearn (1951-2000), Irish Member of Parliament * Teresa Aquino-Oreta (born 1944), Filipino politician * Teresa Bellanova, Italian Minister of Agriculture * Teresa Cheng (politician), Hong Kong Justice Minister * Teresa Gutierrez, American politician *

Teresa Heinz Teresa Heinz (born Maria Teresa Thierstein Simões-Ferreira; October 5, 1938), also known as Teresa Heinz Kerry, is a Portuguese-American businesswoman and philanthropist. Heinz is the widow of former U.S. Senator John Heinz and the wife of for ...

(born 1938), former widow of U.S. Senator H. John Heinz III; wife of Senator John Kerry *

Teresa Isaac Teresa Isaac, an American politician, served as mayor of Lexington, Kentucky from 2003 to 2007. Political life Isaac was elected to the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government council as an At-Large member in 1988. In 1992, she was reelected to ...

, American politician, former mayor of Lexington, Kentucky * Teresa Kok, Malaysian Member of Parliament *

Theresa May Theresa Mary May, Lady May (; née Brasier; born 1 October 1956) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2016 to 2019. She previously served in David Cameron's cabi ...

, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party; UK Member of Parliament * Teresa Mosqueda, American politician * Teresa Pearce, former UK Member of Parliament *

Teresa Reyes Sahagún Teresa Guadalupe Reyes Sahagún (born 15 October 1963) is a Mexican politician from the Labor Party. From 2009 to 2012 she served as Deputy of the LXI Legislature of the Mexican Congress representing the State of Mexico The State of Mexico ( ...

, Mexican politician *

Teresa Ribera Teresa Ribera Rodríguez (born 19 May 1969) is a Spanish jurist, university professor, and politician who has served as the Minister for the Ecological Transition of Spain since 2018, after Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez coming into power follow ...

(born 1969), Spanish jurist, university professor and politician * Teresa Riera (born 1950), Spanish politician * Teresa Rodríguez, Spanish politician * Teresa Tomlinson, American politician * Theresa Villiers, UK Member of Parliament *

Teresa Wat Teresa Wat (, born 1949 or 1950) is a Canadian politician who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 2013 provincial election. She represents the electoral district of Richmond North Centre as a member of the Britis ...

, Canadian member of the

Legislative Assembly of British Columbia The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is the deliberative assembly of the Parliament of British Columbia, in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The Legislative Assembly meets in Victoria. Members are elected from provincial ...

In religion: * List of saints named Teresa * Teresa Chikaba, Ghanaian princess declared Venerable by the Catholic Church * Teresa Demjanovich, American nun of the Sisters of Charity In sports: *

Teresa Ciepły Teresa Barbara Ciepły (''née'' Wieczorek; 19 October 1937 – 8 March 2006) was a Polish sprinter and hurdler. She was a bronze Olympic medalist in the 4×100 metre relay at the 1960 Summer Olympics. Two years later she won gold medals ...

, Polish sprinter * Teresa Earnhardt, widow of racing legend Dale Earnhardt, also known as the "wicked witch" by much of the NASCAR fandom * Teresa Edwards, American basketball player *

Tereza Kmochová Tereza Kmochová (born 26 September 1990) is a Czech deaf female alpine skier. She has represented Czech Republic in Winter Deaflympics, Winter Universiade and in the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships. She generally competes in the women's com ...

, Czech alpine skier * Teresa Machado, Portuguese athlete * Teresa Piccini, Mexican ten-pin bowler * Teresa Rivera, Mexican swimmer * Teresa Rohmann, German medley swimmer * Teresa Ruiz, American State Senator from New Jersey * Teresa Vaill, American racewalker * Theresa Zabell, Spanish sailor other: * Teresa Cormack, murder victim from New Zealand * Theresa Lawson (1951-2014), Australian convicted of embezzlement * Teresa Magbanua, Filipino schoolteacher and revolutionary * Teresa Rodrigo (1956-2020), Spanish scientist *

Teresa Sampsonia Teresa Sampsonia (born Sampsonia; after marriage Lady Shirley, 1589–1668) was an Iranian noblewoman of the Safavid Empire of Iran. She was the wife of Elizabethan English adventurer Robert Shirley, whom she accompanied on his travels and em ...

, Persian noblewoman, diplomat, adventuress *

Teresa Webber Mary Teresa Josephine Webber, is a British palaeographer, medievalist, and academic. She has been a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge since 1997 and Professor of Palaeography at the Faculty of History, University of Cambridge since 2018. Webbe ...

, British palaeographer, medievalist, and academic *

Teresa Sickles Teresa Bagioli Sickles (1836 – February 5, 1867) was the wife of Democratic New York State Assemblyman, U.S. Representative, and later U.S. Army Major General Daniel E. Sickles. She gained notoriety in 1859, when her husband murdered her lover, ...

, wife of Daniel Edgar Sickles, who stood trial for killing her lover

Fictional characters

*Teresa Tracy Bond (née Di Vicenzo), Bond girl and wife of James Bond in the film ''

On Her Majesty's Secret Service On Her Majesty's Secret Service may refer to: * ''On Her Majesty's Secret Service'' (novel), a 1963 novel by Ian Fleming * ''On Her Majesty's Secret Service'' (film), a 1969 film adaptation of the novel ** ''On Her Majesty's Secret Service'' (sou ...

'' * Teresa Bryant, on the British soap opera ''Coronation Street'' *Theresa Burke, wife of main character Ethan Burke on the American TV series '' Wayward Pines'' * Teresa Cammeniti, on the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'' *Theresa Rourke Cassidy, alter-ego of the ''Marvel Comics'' heroine Siryn *Teresa Chávez, protagonist and villain from the TV series ''Teresa'' *Theresa "Tess" Durbeyfield, title character of Thomas Hardy's novel '' Tess of the d'Urbervilles'' *Theresa Fowler, from the animated TV series '' Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja'' *Theresa "Tessa" Gray, protagonist and main character of '' The Infernal Devices'' novel series by Cassandra Clare * Teresa Lisbon, one of the main characters in the drama '' The Mentalist'' * Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald, a main character in the soap opera ''Passions'' *Theresa

Terri McGreggor '' Degrassi: The Next Generation'' is a Canadian teen drama television series created by Linda Schuyler and Yan Moore. The series is now considered the first incarnation and premiered on CTV on October 14, 2001, and then ended on MTV Canada and ...

, in ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' * Theresa McQueen, from the British soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' *

Teresa Moreno Sharpe is a series of historical fiction stories by Bernard Cornwell centred on the character of Richard Sharpe. Cornwell's series (composed of several novels and short stories) charts Sharpe's progress in the British Army during the Napoleonic ...

, wife of Richard Sharpe in Bernard Cornwell's ''Sharpe'' series of historical fiction *Teresa Parker, long lost younger sister of Peter Parker / Spider-Man from

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Comics'' in 19 ...

. * Theresa Russo, from '' Wizards of Waverly Place'' *Theresa Spencer, girlfriend and research partner of the character Daniel Faraday from the TV series '' Lost'' * Teresa Wisemail, from the PlayStation role-playing game ''Suikoden II'' *Theresa, an immortal seeress, one of the main characters in the ''

Fable Fable is a literary genre: a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse, that features animals, legendary creatures, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature that are anthropomorphized, and that illustrates or leads to a particular mor ...

'' video game series * Teresa (Barbie), a fashion doll and Barbie's best friend *Teresa, from

James Dashner James Smith Dashner (born November 26, 1972) is an American writer known for speculative fiction. Many of his books are primarily aimed at children or young adults. He is best known for ''The Maze Runner'' series and the young adult fantasy ser ...

's book series '' The Maze Runner'' *Tereza, from Milan Kundera's novel '' The Unbearable Lightness of Being'' *Theresa (a.k.a. The Fighter), one of the main characters from the Canadian animated series '' Class of the Titans'' *Teresa of Telezart, important character from the second series of the long-running space opera franchise '' Space Battleship Yamato'' * Teresa of the Faint Smile, in ''Claymore'' * Boos, known in Japan as Teresa, are ghosts from the Mario and Yoshi series of video games. *Teresa Mendoza, protagonist and drug cartel leader from Queen of the South *Theresa Keller, a new girl from the children's program

Heidi (2015 TV series) ''Heidi'' is a computer animated children's television series, based indirectly on the 1881 novel ''Heidi'' by Johanna Spyri. The original 2007 television series was a Swiss-French-Italian-Australian co-production in 27 episodes of 26 minutes. ...

*Theresa Servopoulos, from '' The Last of Us''

Notes

{{given name Feminine given names English feminine given names Italian feminine given names Lithuanian feminine given names Polish feminine given names Portuguese feminine given names Spanish feminine given names

People

Fictional characters

See also

Notes