Tess
How to say it: TESS · /ˈtɛs/
Short form of Theresa; ultimately from Greek, possibly meaning 'harvester' or associated with the island of Thera.
Tess was the 1,398th most popular girls’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 113 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1990s, its births are down about 50% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #1,743 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among girls’ names, 2025 | #1,398 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 113 |
| Share of births | 1 in 29,339 |
| Peak decade | 1990s |
| Change over 10 years | −50% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #1,743 |
| In France, 2025 | #462 among girls’ names, 90 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Tess peaked in the 1990s and is less common today.
What goes with it
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Tess is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Greek, Norwegian, Swedish.
In France: #462 for girls in 2025.
Ireland: #155.
Famous people named Tess
- Tess Gerritsen (born 1953)American novelist
- Tess Harper (born 1950)American actress
- Tess Lieder (born 1993)Dutch handball player
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
Keep exploring
About as popular as Tess
In the same lists
Find names you'll both love, starting with Tess
The one-minute style quiz.