Tess
About Tess
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.
Pronounced TESS.
As of October 2026, Tess ranked #1794 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #467 in 1992, Nameberry popularity #663.
Editor's take: The name Tess is a girl's name of English origin meaning "to harvest".
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #1,090 | 235 | 131.6 |
| 2015 | #1,120 | 229 | 128.3 |
| 2016 | #1,162 | 217 | 122.5 |
| 2017 | #1,199 | 203 | 117.6 |
| 2018 | #1,297 | 176 | 103.5 |
| 2019 | #1,421 | 158 | 94.1 |
| 2020 | #1,280 | 175 | 108.3 |
| 2021 | #1,496 | 142 | 86.5 |
| 2022 | #1,896 | 107 | 65.2 |
| 2023 | #1,760 | 117 | 72.9 |
| 2024 | #1,784 | 113 | 69.7 |
| 2025 | #1,794 | 113 | 70.3 |
World rankings
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Tess.
- Gwen
- Heidi
- Margo
- Libby
- Della
- Darcy
- Nellie
- Maxine
- Laurel
- Bridget
- Maggie
- Nina
- Simone
- Josie
- Lucille
- Meredith
- Fiona
- Liv
- Camille
- Bonnie
Tess on lists
Famous Tesss
- 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
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"
- Tess
Photographer in "New Style Boutique"