Teresa
Girl name · #908 in 2025 · Rare
Teresa is currently the #908 girl name in the United States — 291 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #664, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 6,186 girls born in 2025 was named Teresa.
The 145-year story
Teresa first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 50 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1961, when 18,909 girls were named Teresa — good for #18 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Teresa per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Teresa against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Teresa in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Teresa is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Teresa will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Teresa is most common
Geography matters for names, and Teresa is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Teresa is most common in IL (0.5 per 1,000), TX (0.3 per 1,000), FL (0.3 per 1,000), GA (0.2 per 1,000), CA (0.2 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.2 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Teresa is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Teresa
Statistically, parents drawn to Teresa tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Theresa, Lisa, Paula, Darla, and Carla.
TheresaLisaPaulaDarlaCarlaCynthiaAnitaBrenda
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Teresa | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 291 | #908 |
| 2024 | 314 | #860 |
| 2023 | 322 | #843 |
| 2022 | 320 | #867 |
| 2021 | 342 | #815 |
| 2020 | 366 | #745 |
| 2019 | 349 | #794 |
| 2018 | 347 | #786 |
| 2017 | 397 | #722 |
| 2016 | 437 | #668 |
| 2015 | 429 | #664 |
| 2014 | 391 | #716 |
| 2013 | 437 | #647 |
| 2012 | 472 | #607 |
| 2011 | 544 | #533 |
| 2010 | 412 | #692 |
| 2009 | 453 | #653 |
| 2008 | 534 | #578 |
| 2007 | 563 | #546 |
| 2006 | 566 | #533 |
| 2005 | 672 | #453 |
| 2004 | 747 | #407 |
| 2003 | 704 | #427 |
| 2002 | 787 | #376 |
| 2001 | 830 | #357 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Teresa a popular girl name?
Teresa ranked #908 among girls in 2025 with 291 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #664.
When was the name Teresa most popular?
Teresa peaked in 1961, when 18,909 American girls received the name (ranked #18 that year). Since 1961 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Teresa?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 6,186 newborn American girls was named Teresa. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.