Meanings
teresa1
plural teresas
- obsoleteA type of light lady's kerchief in the late eighteenth century.
A black teresa, thrown round her shoulders, set off the dazzling whiteness of a neck, rounded by the hands of the graces.
1790, Amelia Opie, chapter 5, in Dangers of Coquetry, volume I
Teresa2
alternative Theresa
- A female given name from Ancient Greek, the Spanish and Italian form of Theresa.
My friends call me Terry. My husband always used my full name, Teresa. He said it made him feel like he was married to a foreign woman.
1980, Laura Furman, The Glass House, a Novella and Stories., Viking Press, →ISBN, page 761 more example
Cynthia and Melinda, reduced to Cindy and Mindy, as Carella had dreaded would happen from the moment she named them. Her older daughter had fared better. Tess, modern and sleek for Teresa, which conjured up cobblestoned streets in a mountain village in Potenza.
1999, Ed McBain, The Big Bad City, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 139 - A municipality of Rizal, Philippines.
Origin
teresa · noun
Probably named after the Empress Maria Theresa (1717–1780).
Full word history & related roots →Teresa · proper noun
First recorded as the name of a fourth-century Spanish saint. Of obscure origin; suggestions include Therasia or Thera, ancient name of the Greek island Thira.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic تْيْرْيْزَا
- تْيْرْيْزَا (tyryzā)female given name
Catalan Teresa
- Teresafemale given name
Chinese Mandarin 特蕾莎, 特雷莎
- 特蕾莎 (Tèlěishā)female given name
- 特雷莎 (Tèléishā)female given name
- 特麗薩 /特丽萨 (Tèlìsà)female given name
- 特里薩 (Tèlǐsà)female given name
- 德蕾莎 (Délěishā)female given name
- 德肋撒 (Délèisā)female given name
Czech Tereza
- Terezafemale given name
Danish Therese
- Theresefemale given name
Dutch Trees
- Treesfemale given name
Esperanto Tereza
- Terezafemale given name
Finnish Teresa
- Teresafemale given name
French Thérèse
- Thérèsefemale given name
German Theresa, Theresia
- Theresafemale given name
- Theresiafemale given name
Greek Θηρεσία
- Θηρεσία (Thiresía)female given name
Hawaiian Keleka, Kelekia
- Kelekafemale given name
- Kelekiafemale given name
Hebrew תרזה
- תרזה (Terizá)female given name
Hungarian Teréz, Terézia
- Terézfemale given name
- Teréziafemale given name
Irish Treasa
- Treasafemale given name
Italian Teresa
- Teresafemale given name
Japanese テレサ
- テレサfemale given name
Korean 테레사
- 테레사female given name
Latvian Terēze
- Terēzefemale given name
Māori Terehia
- Terehiafemale given name
Norwegian Therese
- Theresefemale given name
Polish Teresa
- Teresafemale given name
Portuguese Teresa
- Teresafemale given name
Russian Тере́за
- Тере́за (Teréza)female given name
Spanish Teresa
- Teresafemale given name
Swedish Teresia, Therese
- Teresiafemale given name
- Theresefemale given name
Vietnamese Têrêsa
- Têrêsafemale given name
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with teresa
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
teresa. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/teresa
“teresa.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/teresa. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “teresa,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/teresa.
Source: teresa on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.