Tearesa
A feminine name with Greek origins meaning "late summer harvester".
Name Census estimates that about 13 living Americans carry the first name Tearesa. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Tearesa today is around 63 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tearesa births was 1965 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tearesa. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Tearesa. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
13
~ 1 in 26,365,718 Americans
Peak year
1965
6 babies that year
Average age
63
years old
1965 SSA rank
#6,458
Tracked since 1958
Popularity
Tearesa: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tearesa from the 1950s through to the 1960s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 11 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Tearesa by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Tearesa during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Tearesa
The name Tearesa is believed to have originated from the Greek word "therizo," which means "to harvest" or "to reap." It is a variant of the more commonly known name "Teresa," which gained popularity in the Middle Ages as a Christian name.
The earliest recorded use of the name Tearesa can be traced back to the 4th century AD, when it appeared in ancient Greek texts and manuscripts. It was a name given to women who were born or celebrated during the harvest season, symbolizing abundance and fertility.
In the 16th century, the name Tearesa became more widespread in Europe, particularly in Spain and Italy. One of the most notable figures bearing this name was St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582), a Spanish mystic, writer, and reformer of the Carmelite Order. Her influence and devotion to the Catholic Church helped popularize the name among Christians.
Another historical figure with the name Tearesa was Tearesa Higginson (1844-1905), an American author and activist who played a significant role in the women's suffrage movement in the United States. Her writings and advocacy for equal rights for women contributed to the advancement of feminism during the late 19th century.
In the 19th century, the name Tearesa also found its way into literature. Tearesa Raquin is a character in Émile Zola's novel "Thérèse Raquin," published in 1867. The novel explored themes of passion, guilt, and moral corruption, and Tearesa's character became a literary representation of a woman trapped in an unhappy marriage.
Moving into the 20th century, Tearesa Merritt (1924-1998) was an American jazz singer and actress who rose to fame in the 1940s and 1950s. Her unique vocal style and performances in various Broadway productions and films earned her critical acclaim and a dedicated following.
Another notable figure with the name Tearesa was Tearesa Teng (1953-1995), a celebrated Taiwanese singer and actress. Known for her powerful vocals and emotional performances, Teng became a cultural icon in Taiwan and influenced generations of musicians throughout Asia.
People
Tearesa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tearesa as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Tearesa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tearesa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 13 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tearesa going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 26,365,718 US residents.
Is Tearesa a common name?
We classify Tearesa as "Very Rare". It ranks above 33.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 16 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tearesa most popular?
The single biggest year for Tearesa was 1965, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tearesa is about 63 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Tearesa in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Tearesa a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tearesa in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Tearesa still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Tearesa in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Tearesa can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Tearesa?
Want to know how many Americans are named Tearesa? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.