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Teresa

Girl name · 403 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Teresa: 403 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to girls, peaking at 52 births in 1974.

The name Teresa is traditionally believed to have originated from the Greek *therizein*, meaning "to harvest," or the Greek island of Thera (modern Santorini), giving it a connection to the sun-drenched Aegean. Its popularity owes much to the Spanish nun and mystic Saint Teresa of Ávila, a 16th-century Doctor of the Church, and the 20th century's Mother Teresa of Calcutta, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning missionary. A place carrying the name's spirit is the Santa Teresa district in Rio de Janeiro, though more direct is the city of Teresina in Brazil, named after the Empress Teresa Cristina. A common variant is Theresa, while the name also enjoys strong associations with Saint Thérèse of Lisieux in French Catholic culture.