girl's name
Tesslyn
TES-lin (English)
- Origin English, coinage
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 7
- Births on record 87
Tesslyn is a modern American girl's name blending Tess, a short form of Theresa, with the popular ending -lyn. Its meaning follows Theresa, usually read as "harvester" or "reaper," though the blend itself is a recent creation with no early record.
- Tesslyn is a name of English, coinage origin.
- Peaked in 2017, when 11 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- First appears in US birth records in 1997.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Tesslyn Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1990s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1990s | 6 |
| 2000s | 15 |
| 2010s | 55 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 6 |
What Tesslyn Means
Tesslyn is usually read as harvester through Tess, though Theresa's own origin is uncertain. The -lyn half is a stylistic ending, so reference sites that translate it as lake are likely overreaching.
Where Tesslyn Comes From
Tess is a pet form of Theresa, a name first recorded in Spain as Therasia, the wife of Saint Paulinus of Nola in the fourth century. Its origin is uncertain, and the link to Greek therizo, to harvest, may be a later guess. Tess gained its own life through Thomas Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles. The ending -lyn follows Madelyn and Katelyn. NameDiscoveries reads Tesslyn as Tess plus Welsh Lynn, a lake or waterfall, and Parenting Patch calls it a variant of Tessa. Namepedia's description of a modern compound of Tess and -lyn is the most likely account.
Tesslyn in Use
Like Brooklyn and Oaklyn, Tesslyn shows how American parents extend a short name with a familiar ending. It's a personalized form of Tess more than a separate name.
How Popular Is Tesslyn?
In 2020, Tesslyn was given to 6 babies in the United States. It was given to fewer than five babies in the most recent year of published figures for the United States.
Where Tesslyn Is Used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names That Peaked Alongside Tesslyn
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Tesslyn Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Tesslyn over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Tesslyn
- English TES-lin
Tesslyn in Other Languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Italian
- Tessa
Sibling Names for Tesslyn
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Tesslyn — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Tesslyn
What does the name Tesslyn mean?
It's a blend of Tess and -lyn, and it's usually read as harvester through Theresa.
Why do sources disagree about Tesslyn?
It's a modern blend, so writers treat the -lyn half differently.
How do you pronounce Tesslyn?
TESS-lin.
How popular is the name Tesslyn?
In 2020, Tesslyn was given to 6 babies in the United States. It was given to fewer than five babies in the most recent year of published figures for the United States.
Is Tesslyn a girl's or a boy's name?
Tesslyn is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Tesslyn?
Tesslyn has 2 syllables.
When was Tesslyn most popular?
Tesslyn peaked in 2017, when 11 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.