Would a little girl hate being Theresa?

Girl Names
1

[name]Even[/name] with the sweet nn [name]Tess[/name]? She would probably be [name]Tess[/name] 99% of the time, anyway, but I’ve been thinking about just [name]Tess[/name] for the last spot on my list, and it just seems like if she had sisters with longer, more elaborate, feminine names like [name]Isabelle[/name], [name]Arianne[/name], [name]Olivia[/name], [name]Violet[/name], [name]Liliana[/name], [name]Charlotte[/name], etc., and she’s just [name]Tess[/name]–I am the only child in my family without a nn and I really hated it. So I’m just worried she’d feel left out. I think the feminine, somewhat classic [name]Theresa[/name] would fit in pretty well with my list (much more than the just-as-nicknamey [name]Tessa[/name], which I don’t care for), and [name]Theresa[/name] has this sort of lacy appearance to it that I’ve really grown to love, and Mother [name]Teresa[/name] is a pretty great association, too. Plus, it’s a family name. But is [name]Theresa[/name] too old-fashioned? I honestly don’t think I’ve met a [name]Theresa[/name]/[name]Teresa[/name] under the age of 40, and I’m worried she’d resent her name (even if the nn was pretty cool). I know a [name]Karen[/name] my age who hates it, because she felt like she was given a “mom’s name”.

Thoughts? I’m really loving [name]Tess[/name] lately, I just don’t know if I could do [name]Theresa[/name] (although it is growing on me, little by little…).

What would you pair with [name]Theresa[/name] to make it more modern-feeling? All I can think of are vintage names that have been dusted off, and honestly, [name]Olive[/name], [name]Sybil[/name], and [name]Grace[/name] just make [name]Theresa[/name] feel older, imo. :confused:

Other options for my list if [name]Tess[/name]/[name]Theresa[/name] doesn’t make the pick, are [name]Eva[/name] “[name]Evie[/name]”, [name]Josephine[/name] “[name]Posy[/name]”, and [name]Catherine[/name] “[name]Kit[/name]/[name]Kitty[/name]”, do you think a little girl would like having those names better?

Thanks, ladies!

2

I don’t know if she would hate being a [name]Theresa[/name] but I do really like the name [name]Tess[/name] even just as a stand-alone name. Of the others [name]Eva[/name] is okay but I don’t like [name]Evie[/name]. Josepine I really like but don’t care for [name]Posy[/name] as a nnn :slight_smile: and [name]Catherine[/name] is okay but I do like [name]Kit[/name] (not [name]Kitty[/name]) and [name]Kat[/name] as nicknames.

3

[name]Theresa[/name] really isn’t my taste, though I adore [name]Tess[/name].
I agree that with the other names in your group, [name]Tess[/name] seems to stand out as nicknamey and short.
And [name]Theresa[/name] fits okay with your set.
What about [name]Esther[/name] nn [name]Tess[/name]?

4

I don’t think I’ve ever met a [name]Theresa[/name] now that I think about it, of any age. Strange, because I live in a VERY Catholic area. I would love to see [name]Theresa[/name] on a child. I personally was given a “mom name” in the late '80s (not my user name; think [name]Denise[/name] or [name]Brenda[/name]), and although I hated it as a child, I’ve since grown to appreciate the quirkiness of having a name that surprises people. People see my name and expect to see a middle-aged woman; instead, they get a petite 20-something-year-old who looks 16, which I think is kind of fun. I think a child could pull off any name if she had the right attitude about it and was taught to love it early on. [name]Theresa[/name] DOES seem to fit in perfectly with your other names, and you’re right, it does look lacy. I don’t think [name]Theresa[/name] even really looks like a middle-aged name; I think it’s more of a timeless name with a sound that fits right in with all the other names ending in a.

5

I keep going back and forth about the same thing…
I feel like i need a longer name to ANY name! I adore nn’s.
I have [name]Teresa[/name] on my list and would use the nn [name]Tessa[/name]… But I keep thinking the same thing… 40 year old lady.

I do know one 20ish year old [name]Theresa[/name] and she suites it well! It works for her so I dont see why not a little girl! But I know where you are coming from!

6

I love [name]Theresa[/name] & I think it goes fairly well with the other names. [name]Bella[/name] & [name]Tess[/name] sound like great sisters. [name]Tess[/name] & [name]Violet[/name] also share a vintage sweetness imo.

I might prefer being [name]Eve[/name] though. I love that name!

7

I know a young [name]Theresa[/name] who doesn’t hate her name at all. She often goes by Teesa/Teesee (we never really write these nicknames down…). I’ve found that one can’t plan a nickname, even if it is desired. I’d recommend going with just [name]Tess[/name] if that’s what you’re going to call her anyway. [name]Theresa[/name] runs the risk of being [name]Terry[/name] or even Teesee :slight_smile: The one thing my [name]Theresa[/name] hates about her name is that it’s not on those cute little keychains at souvenier shops, and when it is, it is missing the h. (also the whole h/no h conundrum)

For middles, I would recommend…
[name]Theresa[/name] [name]Aislinn[/name]
[name]Theresa[/name] [name]Willow[/name]
[name]Theresa[/name] [name]Isabelle[/name] (I know you love [name]Isabelle[/name] and I thought it flowed nicely)
[name]Theresa[/name] [name]Everly[/name]

As to your other suggestions, I like [name]Eva[/name] and [name]Catherine[/name], but [name]Josephine[/name] isn’t bad. I can’t see getting [name]Posy[/name] out of [name]Josephine[/name]. [name]One[/name] cannot control a nickname, and no doubt if she turns out to be a tomboy her friends would call her [name]Jo[/name].

All this to say that [name]Theresa[/name], [name]Eva[/name], [name]Catherine[/name], and [name]Josephine[/name] would not hate you.

8

[name]Theresa[/name] has never struck me as a middle aged name…it has always felt very timeless to me. I think [name]Theresa[/name] nn [name]Tess[/name] is adorable!

9

I know young Theresas that wear it well. It’s a pretty common fn and mn at my church. I definitely don’t think she would hate it. [name]Shell[/name] always have [name]Tess[/name] to go by whereas other names, like [name]Karen[/name], really don’t have that kind of NN options. There’s problems with every name out there that could make someone hate it. I think [name]Theresa[/name] [name]Catherine[/name] woud be lovely together. With [name]Catherine[/name] as a middle, on he rare chance she does hate [name]Theresa[/name] she could go by any one of [name]Catherine[/name]'s numerous NNs. Maybe [name]Theresa[/name] [name]Catherine[/name] [name]Grace[/name]?

10

Thanks, ladies. :slight_smile:

I’m still not very convinced, haha, maybe I’ll just have to let [name]Theresa[/name] grow on me on its own time. I think if I use it, I’d need a trendy (good trendy, not bad trendy, haha), sweet (and probably short) MN. Maybe something like [name]Theresa[/name] [name]Lily[/name] or [name]Theresa[/name] [name]Ella[/name] ____. And of course the second MN for family, like all my other combos.

Let’s switch it up a little, because I’m not ready to commit to [name]Theresa[/name], but I am quite leaning toward committing to [name]Tess[/name]. If it’s just [name]Tess[/name] alone, what would you pair that with? I had thought of [name]Tess[/name] [name]Madeleine[/name], [name]Tess[/name] [name]Aurelia[/name], [name]Tess[/name] [name]Felicity[/name], etc., but none of those really seem to be speaking to me (although I might be able to be talked into [name]Tess[/name] [name]Felicity[/name]!).

Any other [name]Tess[/name] combo ideas?

Thanks, ladies!

11

If I were [name]Theresa[/name], I would FOR SURE go by [name]Tess[/name]/[name]Tessa[/name] and perhaps entertain the idea of a legal change. But I’m an 80s baby, and 2010+ babes would definitely view it differently.

Is it about getting to [name]Tessa[/name]? I go through this with nicknames, too. My full name isn’t nicknamable, and people always assumed it was a nickname for something else, so I always wanting to lengthen my shorter favorites. I think [name]Tessa[/name] is so very wearable, and she could be [name]Tess[/name] as well as [name]Tessa[/name]. If you’re looking to lengthen [name]Tess[/name], I use babynamesworld.parentsconnect.com to search for names that begin (or contain) certain letter sets. It gave me:

[name]Tesia[/name] (Greek: Harvester), variants [name]Tess[/name] [name]Tessa[/name] [name]Tessi[/name] [name]Tessie[/name] and [name]Tessy[/name]
Contessa (Italian: countess)
Teshua (Hebrew: gift) variants Teshuah, Teshura and Teshurah
and some others that are less accessible

So there aren’t a ton of easy go-to options, but my point is that I bet you/we could find some by digging a bit. No harm in stretching, if it gives you both a full name AND a nickname you love.

I do think [name]Tesia[/name] nn [name]Tess[/name] is an intriguing option.

As for modern middles that could liven up [name]Theresa[/name], the first that came to mind was [name]Theresa[/name] [name]Clover[/name], probably because I’m partial to [name]Clover[/name] these days.

12

[name]Theresa[/name] is a family name so a few a ppl in my family (including my mom) sport it, wasn’t sure how I felt about it as a child’s name until my aunt named her daughter [name]Theresa[/name] and gave her the nm [name]Reese[/name]. It’s so cute ad she wears it so well, because its classic she can use [name]Theresa[/name] as she gets older in more formal situations and had a great nickname the best of both world [name]IMO[/name]. I also think [name]Reese[/name] would pair with anyone of the other names you have listed in a subset for the future

13

I would have hated being [name]Theresa[/name] as a child but that could have
changed as I aged. It really just depends on what kind of girl
your daughter will be. Hard thing to guess. Maybe [name]Theresa[/name] as a
first name and one of those frilly long feminine names as a middle.

14

[name]Theresa[/name] isn’t old feeling to me, well [name]Teresa[/name] at least. I prefer [name]Teresa[/name] because with [name]Theresa[/name] I always imagine it said “Tha-ree-saa”

There’s a Mattel doll named [name]Teresa[/name], she’s one of [name]Barbie[/name]'s best friends. I always thought her name was lovely personally.

The nn [name]Tess[/name] is so pretty too, I don’t think she’d feel weird.

As for refreshing middles, well my taste tends to be a bit different from yours but I like the ideas of:
[name]Theresa[/name] [name]Caroline[/name]
[name]Theresa[/name] [name]Marilyn[/name]
[name]Theresa[/name] [name]Noelle[/name]
[name]Theresa[/name] [name]Jade[/name]
[name]Theresa[/name] [name]Maren[/name]
[name]Theresa[/name] [name]Eloise[/name]

15

I think [name]Theresa[/name] is fabulous, and fits in well with her hypothetical sisters. Vintage and classy like many other names on your list, with a sweet girly nickname. I would love to have the Mother [name]Theresa[/name] association, and bonus points for it honouring family.

If you find [name]Theresa[/name] too fusty, would you consider [name]Therese[/name]? Its the [name]German[/name] variant of [name]Theresa[/name] and very pretty, imo. Its pronounced Thrayze. I hope your sold on [name]Theresa[/name] though, its a terrific name that a little girl would be lucky to have.

16

I disliked the name [name]Theresa[/name] even when I was a little girl. My best friend’s mom was named [name]Theresa[/name], and even though I liked her, I distinctly remember hating her name. As a little girl, I would have hated the name. This generation might be different though. I don’t know honestly. Shrug If you tell her as a little girl that her name is lovely and special then she might grow up feeling that way. I love [name]Tess[/name]!

17

@yellow - no, actually, I dislike [name]Tessa[/name] right now. Otherwise, I would probably use just [name]Tessa[/name], and use the nn [name]Tess[/name], and I’d be quite happy. :slight_smile: I love [name]Tess[/name], and can appreciate [name]Theresa[/name], but I’m not sure I love it. I actually feel like I’m starting to like/love the look of [name]Theresa[/name] ([name]Teresa[/name] looks empty, somehow), but not its sound…

@east93 - I actually love [name]Theresa[/name] [name]Noelle[/name]! And as you may or may not remember, [name]Noelle[/name]'s a family name. Maybe I could do something like [name]Theresa[/name] [name]Lily[/name] [name]Noelle[/name] or something. :slight_smile:

@pinkballerina - no, sorry, I don’t like [name]Therese[/name]. It’d be nice if I did, though! I read a book with a [name]Therese[/name] ([name]Terese[/name]?), and her character ruined what I would have found a very appealing name. I had always said it tuh-[name]REESE[/name] when I read the book, so the tay-[name]REZ[/name]/THRAYS/etc. pronunciations I’ve been hearing sound quite weird to my ear, haha. I do think it looks pretty, though.

18

I have a friend name [name]Theresa[/name], and she absolutely hates it. She’s in the process of changing her name; she’s 18. I love [name]Tess[/name], but [name]IMO[/name], [name]Theresa[/name] is outdated. Out of your others, I like [name]Eva[/name] nn [name]Evie[/name]. [name]Eva[/name] will age well, and [name]Evie[/name] will fit in. I don’t think a kid would enjoy being called [name]Posy[/name] and [name]Kitty[/name].

19

[name]Tess[/name] [name]Rosalie[/name]
[name]Tess[/name] [name]Rosaline[/name]
[name]Tess[/name] [name]Rosemarie[/name]
[name]Tess[/name] [name]Olivet[/name]
[name]Tess[/name] [name]Eliana[/name]
[name]Tess[/name] [name]Emerald[/name]
[name]Tess[/name] [name]Vienna[/name]
[name]Tess[/name] [name]Juliet[/name]
[name]Tess[/name] [name]Lyla[/name]

20

I did know a [name]Theresa[/name] in high school and she was taunted with chants of “[name]Theresa[/name] [name]Green[/name]” (Trees-are [name]Green[/name]) a bit. So purely for that reason I would stay away from any tree-related middle names (ie. [name]Olive[/name], [name]Willow[/name] etc)