Tess

English, diminutive of Theresa
"to harvest"

Tess Origin and Meaning

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

Cosy and warm but with plenty of substance and strength, Tess is a literary diminutive that works perfectly well as a stand-alone name. Stylish in the Netherlands, it currently sits outside the Top 1000 in the US, where Tessa and Teresa are currently preferred.

Perhaps the most iconic and memorable Tess is the heroine of Thomas Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles, the moral center of the tragic novel. Typically derived from Theresa, the name is associated with harvest time, though it may also be used as a nickname sunny Welsh Tesni, aristocratic Contessa, and rare Otessa.

The name ranked in the US and UK charts back in the 2000s and 2010s, but has since been displaced by longer form Tessa, but we could easily see it returning to the charts in coming years. Chosen by fashion writer Plum Sykes in 2010 and by actor Luke Macfarlane in 2023, other notable bearers include writer Tess Gerritsen and presenter Tess Daly.

International alternatives include Swedish Tessan and Dutch Tessel.

# 998 in the US

Tess Rank in US Top 1000

# 269 on Nameberry

Tess Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Popularity of the name Tess

20 Names Similar to Tess

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Tess.

Famous People Named Tess

  • Tessie Jean "Tess" Harper
    American actress
  • Helen Elizabeth "Tess" Daly
    English model and TV presenter
  • Tess Amber Taylor
    American model and reality TV personality ("Pretty Wild")
  • Tess Holliday (born Ryann Maegen Hoven)
    American plus size model
  • Tess Uriza Holthe
    Filipina American novelist
  • Tess Slesinger
    American novelist and screenwriter
  • Tess Gaerthe
    Dutch singer
  • Tess Walker
    youngest daughter of Elle Walker, co,founder of YouTube channel "whatsupmoms"
  • Tess Gerritsen
    American novelist
  • Tess Mattisson
    Swedish pop singer
  • Tess Wiley
    American singer,songwriter
  • Therese "Tess" Gardella
    American stage actress
  • Tess Gallagher
    American author; wife of author Raymond Carver
  • Tess Mallos (born Anastasia Calopades)
    Australian cookbook author and chef

The name Tess in Pop Culture

  • Tess Durbeyfield
    main character in Thomas Hardy's "Tess of the D'Urbervilles"
  • Tess Trueheart
    character in Dick Tracy comics
  • Tessa "Tess" Gray
    character in Cassandra Clare's Infernal Devices trilogy
  • Tess Quin
    character in Kresley Cole's "The Arcana Chronicles"
  • Tess McGill
    main character in film "Working Girl"
  • Teresa "Tess" Bell
    character on Australian soap "Neighbours"
  • Tess Carlisle
    character in 1994 film "Guarding Tess"
  • Tess Carroll
    character in film and book "Charlie St. Cloud"
  • Tess Coleman
    character in film "Freaky Friday"
  • Tess Finnegan
    character in film "Fool's Gold"
  • Tess Harding
    character in film "Woman of the Year"
  • Tess Ocean
    character in the Ocean's Eleven film series
  • Tess
    character in 2010 film "Burlesque"
  • Tess Tyler
    character in film "Camp Rock"
  • Tess Harding
    character on TV's "Roswell"
  • Tess
    character in Lily Tomlin's sketches, sometimes called "Trudy"
  • Tess
    character in Marie Lu's "Legend"
  • Tess
    character on TV's "Ravenswood"
  • Tess Bateman
    character on British TV series "Casualty"
  • Tess Skinner
    main character in 1922 silent film "Tess of the Storm Country"
  • Tess Struan
    character in "Tai,Pan" and "Gai,Jin" by James Clavell
  • Tess Doerner
    character on TV's "The 4400"
  • Tess
    character in 'Fallen In Love' by Lauren Kate
  • Tess Foster
    main character in Canadian TV series "Life With Boys"
  • Tess Nichols
    character in 2008 film "27 Dresses"
  • Tess Harris
    character on British soap "Emmerdale"
  • Tess Adamson
    character on New Zealand soap "Shortland Street"
  • Tess Fontana
    character on TV's "Eureka"
  • Tess Silverman McLeod
    character on Australian series "McLeod's Daughters"
  • Tess Mercer
    also known as Lutessa Lena Luthor, character in DC Universe
  • Tess Ramsey
    character on American soap opera Port Charles
  • Tess Smith
    an alternate personality of Jessica Buchanan on American soap "One Life to Live"
  • Tess
    character on TV's "Touched by an Angel"
  • Tess Morgan
    character on TV's "The Flash"
  • Tess
    character in the Jak and Daxter video game series
  • Tess
    character in the video game The Last of Us
  • Tess Wintory
    character in the video game Test Drive Unlimited 2
  • Tess Churchmouse
    mouse character in the Redwall series
  • Tess Clark
    character in Chuck Palahniuk's Haunted
  • Tess Pearson
    character on TV's "This Is Us"
  • Tess
    character in the Johnny the Homicidal Maniac comic book series
  • Therese "Tess" Dombegh
    main character of Rachel Hartman's "Tess of the Road"
  • Tess Tyler
    main character in movie "Billboard Dad"

The name Tess in Nameberry Forums