Tess means harvest or summer — a diminutive of Theresa/Teresa, from the Greek therizo. Thomas Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles is one of the most powerful novels in English — the pure woman destroyed by Victorian hypocrisy. Working Girl's Tess McGill (Melanie Griffith) climbs from secretary to executive. Four letters of Hardy-level literary power, Working-Girl ambition, and the pure woman the world wronged.
Tess is a diminutive of Theresa meaning harvest. Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles is one of the most powerful English novels. Working Girl's Tess McGill climbs from secretary to executive.
2
First recorded
Earliest known use: Diminutive; Hardy's Tess (1891).
3
Today
Tess remains a beloved choice, ranking #1442 in the US. 14,653 babies have been named Tess since 1889.
◈ Sources: Behind the Name, Oxford Dictionary of First Names, SSA data
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How popular is Tess?
1992peak year
Tess entered U.S. records in 1889, near the turn of the 20th century. Its popularity climbed over the following decades. In 1992, 529 babies received the name (ranked #467). Today it sits well outside the top 1,000 (around #1442), with roughly 164 babies named Tess each year. Tess has been declining in recent years. In total, around 14,653 babies have been registered with this name since 1880.
Year-by-year registrations1880–2024 · U.S. Social Security data
Tess's Life Path 1 is the leader's number — harvest-level leadership. People named Tess tend to be clean, powerful, and gifted at being the pure woman who rises above everything.
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