Teresa

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Teresa, Theresa, and Therese (Thérèse) are feminine given names. The name is thought to be derived from the Greek verb therizein, meaning to harvest. Common diminutives or nicknames for Teresa are Terri, Tess, Tessie, Tessa, Teesie, Reese, Tisa, Resa, T, and Tressie. Teresita is the diminutive form of Teresa in Spanish.

The meaning of the name Theresa, or Teresa, is "one who reaps". The name implies one who is destined to work hard, but who will receive great bounty for her efforts. The name is associated with the fall season of the earth's life cycle: a time of harvest, of plenty, of purposeful labors, of warmth and generosity. Theresa shares her harvest with the world, as the earth has given its fruits to Theresa, thus respecting and supporting the natural cycle of life.

The popularity of this name in America over the last 15 years is falling, according to the US Census. Spelled "Theresa", it was ranked as the 717th most popular name for girls born in 2006, down from 226th in 1992 (it ranked 65th in 1950, and 102nd in 1900). Spelled "Teresa", it was the 535th most popular name for girls born in 2006, down from 206th in 1992 (it ranked 81st in 1950, and 220th in 1900).

People

Maria Theresa of Austria, Archduchess of Austria and Queen of Hungary and Bohemia
Teresa of Ávila
Teresa of the Andes
Teresa Benedicta of the Cross
Teresa Berganza
Teresa Brewer
Teresa Bryant
Teresa Cammeniti
Teresa Carpenter
Teresa Carpio
Teresa Carreno
Teresa Ciepły
Teresa Chiang
Teresa Chikaba
Teresa Cormack
Teresa Demjanovich
Teresa Deng
Teresa Earnhardt
Teresa Edgerton
Teresa Edwards
Therese Grankvist, swedish singer
Teresa Graves
Teresa Gutierrez
Teresa Heinz
Teresa Isaac
Teresa Kok
Teresa LaBarbera
Thérèse de Lisieux
Teresa Lubomirska
Teresa Machado
Teresa Medeiros
Teresa Moreno
Teresa Nielsen Hayden
Teresa Parente
Teresa Piccini
Teresa of Portugal
Teresa Ranieri
Theresa Russell
Teresa Salgueiro
Teresa Sickles
Teresa Simas
Teresa of the Two Sicilies
Teresa Tunay, Filipino writer
Teresa Stratas
Mother Teresa
Vincent Teresa
Lady Teresa Waugh
Teresa Venerdì
Teresa Villaverde
Teresa Wentzler
Teresa Wisemail
Teresa Wright
Teresa Żarnowerówna

Places

In Canada

In the United States

Theresa, a town in New York.
Theresa, a village in the town of Theresa, New York.
Theresa, a town in Wisconsin.
Theresa, a village in the town of Theresa, Wisconsin.

Books

Therese, by Arthur Schnitzler
''Thérèse Raquin, by Émile Zola

Movies

Teresa, Rod Steiger's first film appearance
Tess, a film directed by Roman Polanski
Theresa, Mexican soap opera
Thérèse, by Alain Cavalier, which won the 1987 César Award for Best Film

Music

Thérèse, an opera by Jules Massenet
Teresa, a popular song recorded in 1948 by Dick Haymes & The Andrews Sisters
Teresa was a popular song by Joe Dolan, when it topped the Irish singles chart in 1969.
"St. Teresa", a single from Joan Osborne's 1995 album Relish
"St. Teresa", a song by Blackmore’s Night from their 2006 album The Village Lanterne

TV

Teresa of the Faint Smile, one of the main characters in the popular anime (Claymore (TV Series)) and manga (Claymore (Manga)) series Claymore.

Other

The name Teresa is on the list of hurricane names in the Atlantic Ocean, but has yet to be used (next comes up in 2009).

References

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Last updated on Wednesday March 12, 2008 at 18:10:28 PDT (GMT -0700)
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