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Tess

Heart
English, diminutive of Theresa
"to harvest"

Tess Origin and Meaning

The name Tess is a girl's name of English origin meaning "to harvest".

With its solid Thomas Hardy background, Tess has a lot more substance, strength, and style than most single-syllable names, with an efficient yet relaxed image.

The iconic literary Tess is the beautiful heroine of Thomas Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles, the moral center of the novel. Other Tesses have been portrayed on screen by Katharine Hepburn, Julia Roberts, Shirley Maclaine, Melanie Griffiths, Kate Hudson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Cher, Della Reese and Malin Akerman. Novelist and fashion journalist Plum Sykes named her daughter Tess.

Writer Tess Gerritsen was born Terry, but decided to feminize her name when she began writing romance novels.

If you'd like to expand the name, you can consider Tessa--or even Tessie

# 998 in the US

Tess Rank in US Top 1000

# 400 on Nameberry

Tess Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Tess Popularity

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Famous People Named Tess

  • Tessie Jean "Tess" HarperAmerican actress
  • Helen Elizabeth "Tess" DalyEnglish model and TV presenter
  • Tess Amber TaylorAmerican model and reality TV personality ("Pretty Wild")
  • Tess Holliday (born Ryann Maegen Hoven)American plus size model
  • Tess Uriza HoltheFilipina American novelist
  • Tess SlesingerAmerican novelist and screenwriter
  • Tess GaertheDutch singer
  • Tess Walkeryoungest daughter of Elle Walker, co,founder of YouTube channel "whatsupmoms"
  • Tess GerritsenAmerican novelist
  • Tess MattissonSwedish pop singer
  • Tess WileyAmerican singer,songwriter
  • Therese "Tess" GardellaAmerican stage actress
  • Tess GallagherAmerican author; wife of author Raymond Carver
  • Tess Mallos (born Anastasia Calopades)Australian cookbook author and chef

Tess in Pop Culture

  • Tess Durbeyfieldmain character in Thomas Hardy's "Tess of the D'Urbervilles"
  • Tess Trueheartcharacter in Dick Tracy comics
  • Tessa "Tess" Graycharacter in Cassandra Clare's Infernal Devices trilogy
  • Tess Quincharacter in Kresley Cole's "The Arcana Chronicles"
  • Tess McGillmain character in film "Working Girl"
  • Teresa "Tess" Bellcharacter on Australian soap "Neighbours"
  • Tess Carlislecharacter in 1994 film "Guarding Tess"
  • Tess Carrollcharacter in film and book "Charlie St. Cloud"
  • Tess Colemancharacter in film "Freaky Friday"
  • Tess Finnegancharacter in film "Fool's Gold"
  • Tess Hardingcharacter in film "Woman of the Year"
  • Tess Oceancharacter in the Ocean's Eleven film series
  • Tesscharacter in 2010 film "Burlesque"
  • Tess Tylercharacter in film "Camp Rock"
  • Tess Hardingcharacter on TV's "Roswell"
  • Tesscharacter in Lily Tomlin's sketches, sometimes called "Trudy"
  • Tesscharacter in Marie Lu's "Legend"
  • Tesscharacter on TV's "Ravenswood"
  • Tess Batemancharacter on British TV series "Casualty"
  • Tess Skinnermain character in 1922 silent film "Tess of the Storm Country"
  • Tess Struancharacter in "Tai,Pan" and "Gai,Jin" by James Clavell
  • Tess Doernercharacter on TV's "The 4400"
  • Tesscharacter in 'Fallen In Love' by Lauren Kate
  • Tess Fostermain character in Canadian TV series "Life With Boys"
  • Tess Nicholscharacter in 2008 film "27 Dresses"
  • Tess Harrischaracter on British soap "Emmerdale"
  • Tess Adamsoncharacter on New Zealand soap "Shortland Street"
  • Tess Fontanacharacter on TV's "Eureka"
  • Tess Silverman McLeodcharacter on Australian series "McLeod's Daughters"
  • Tess Merceralso known as Lutessa Lena Luthor, character in DC Universe
  • Tess Ramseycharacter on American soap opera Port Charles
  • Tess Smithan alternate personality of Jessica Buchanan on American soap "One Life to Live"
  • Tesscharacter on TV's "Touched by an Angel"
  • Tess Morgancharacter on TV's "The Flash"
  • Tesscharacter in the Jak and Daxter video game series
  • Tesscharacter in the video game The Last of Us
  • Tess Wintorycharacter in the video game Test Drive Unlimited 2
  • Tess Churchmousemouse character in the Redwall series
  • Tess Clarkcharacter in Chuck Palahniuk's Haunted
  • Tess Pearsoncharacter on TV's "This Is Us"
  • Tesscharacter in the Johnny the Homicidal Maniac comic book series
  • Therese "Tess" Dombeghmain character of Rachel Hartman's "Tess of the Road"