Theresa
Girl name · #1548 in 2025 · Very rare
Theresa ranks #1548 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 136 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #1193, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 13,235 girls born in 2025 was named Theresa.
The 145-year story
Theresa first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 153 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1961, when 11,960 girls were named Theresa — good for #35 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 Theresa per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Theresa against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Theresa in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Theresa is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Theresa will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Theresa is most common
Geography matters for names, and Theresa is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Theresa is most common in PA (0.2 per 1,000), NY (0.2 per 1,000), CA (0.1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.1 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Theresa is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Theresa
Statistically, parents drawn to Theresa tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Teresa, Belinda, Tamara, Brenda, and Cynthia.
TeresaBelindaTamaraBrendaCynthiaLucindaThereseLisa
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Theresa | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 136 | #1548 |
| 2024 | 146 | #1492 |
| 2023 | 123 | #1681 |
| 2022 | 148 | #1478 |
| 2021 | 150 | #1432 |
| 2020 | 156 | #1398 |
| 2019 | 184 | #1259 |
| 2018 | 224 | #1101 |
| 2017 | 219 | #1131 |
| 2016 | 210 | #1188 |
| 2015 | 210 | #1193 |
| 2014 | 226 | #1121 |
| 2013 | 198 | #1210 |
| 2012 | 232 | #1075 |
| 2011 | 213 | #1150 |
| 2010 | 282 | #919 |
| 2009 | 283 | #942 |
| 2008 | 342 | #830 |
| 2007 | 379 | #767 |
| 2006 | 394 | #717 |
| 2005 | 440 | #636 |
| 2004 | 410 | #671 |
| 2003 | 494 | #562 |
| 2002 | 532 | #516 |
| 2001 | 602 | #461 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Theresa a popular girl name?
Theresa ranked #1548 among girls in 2025 with 136 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1193.
When was the name Theresa most popular?
Theresa peaked in 1961, when 11,960 American girls received the name (ranked #35 that year). Since 1961 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Theresa?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 13,235 newborn American girls was named Theresa. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very 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.