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HelpThinking about Tessa...
WDYT of Tessa?
Do you think it can stand on its own as a name?
I really don't like Teresa at all, but Tessa has been on my mind a lot lately. It passes my usual tests for a name, as in I can imagine a Doctor Tessa Jackson for eg, but I am thinking maybe thats just because I want it to pass those tests so badly IYKWIM.
If you don't think it can stand on its own, is there any other name it can be a nn for besides Teresa?
TIA :)
Do you think it can stand on its own as a name?
I really don't like Teresa at all, but Tessa has been on my mind a lot lately. It passes my usual tests for a name, as in I can imagine a Doctor Tessa Jackson for eg, but I am thinking maybe thats just because I want it to pass those tests so badly IYKWIM.
If you don't think it can stand on its own, is there any other name it can be a nn for besides Teresa?
TIA :)
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Replies
I love the name Tessa and definitely think it can stand on it's own, no problems. I can see it working on a female of any age.
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Thanks everyone!
I think the general concensus seems to be that it can stand on its own so I will think on it a bit more now! Thanks again :)
I think the general concensus seems to be that it can stand on its own so I will think on it a bit more now! Thanks again :)
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I think Tessa stands on its own.
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I know how you feel.
I love both Tess and Tessa , but I don't think it can stand on its own. I have put Teresa and Teresia on my list just because I want to use Tessa, which is stupid. I should just go ahead and use Tessa then, so I'll encourage you to do that.
I'm rather strict about full name vs. NN , but there is nothing wrong with Tessa as a full name. It isn't childish or flimsy or overly cute. It's not something that will make people go "What?! That's your NAME?" (Like Pooh or BooBoo or Peep or whatever.)
Tessa is stylish and feminine, to me it feels both classic and modern. It is spunky without being boyish, it is feminine in the right way - delicate without being fragile and frilly, just sweet and sensuous.
Maybe my main issue is that Therese (+ thousands of spelling variations) was very common when I grew up and Tessan was the standard NN for it. When I got older I met a Teresia who was called Tessie, and I found it so much more appealing. If I (in Sweden) ever met a woman who had been named Tessan I would find it ridiculous. So perhaps that's why I think Tessa can't stand on its own.
I hope I can change my mind though since, like you, I'm not over the moon about Teresa, I just love Tessa.
Possible other full names - Thalassa , Theodosia , Tanesha ... nah, I guess not.
I love both Tess and Tessa , but I don't think it can stand on its own. I have put Teresa and Teresia on my list just because I want to use Tessa, which is stupid. I should just go ahead and use Tessa then, so I'll encourage you to do that.
I'm rather strict about full name vs. NN , but there is nothing wrong with Tessa as a full name. It isn't childish or flimsy or overly cute. It's not something that will make people go "What?! That's your NAME?" (Like Pooh or BooBoo or Peep or whatever.)
Tessa is stylish and feminine, to me it feels both classic and modern. It is spunky without being boyish, it is feminine in the right way - delicate without being fragile and frilly, just sweet and sensuous.
Maybe my main issue is that Therese (+ thousands of spelling variations) was very common when I grew up and Tessan was the standard NN for it. When I got older I met a Teresia who was called Tessie, and I found it so much more appealing. If I (in Sweden) ever met a woman who had been named Tessan I would find it ridiculous. So perhaps that's why I think Tessa can't stand on its own.
I hope I can change my mind though since, like you, I'm not over the moon about Teresa, I just love Tessa.
Possible other full names - Thalassa , Theodosia , Tanesha ... nah, I guess not.
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It is such a dilemma! See, I usually dislike people naming kids a nn (for eg, I adore Norah but any Norah of mine would be Eleanor "Norah" and ditto with Jeremiah "Jem" or Elisabeth "Bess" etc even if I would only ever call them by that nn) except everything other than Teresa (and the variants) seems like a stretch or that I am trying too hard and I really cannot stand Theresa! And unlike other nns, I can see Tessa on its own. I could take a Tessa seriously. President Tessa Jackson (Jackson isn't my ln by the way, just an eg) sounds perfectly fine to me. But I am worried about her being judged by others who don't see it the same way.
I guess the other thing is that my other kids are likely to have quite formal full names as fns and will all have nns (such as Vivienne "Vivi", Eleanor "Norah", Bridget "Biddy" etc) and maybe Tessa (who would go by Tess and Tessie a bit I assume) won't fit into that...
But I really really like it! Grrrrrr! :p
I guess its a good thing this is all hypothetical and kids are a long way (I hope!) off for me!
Thanks for your opinion!
I guess the other thing is that my other kids are likely to have quite formal full names as fns and will all have nns (such as Vivienne "Vivi", Eleanor "Norah", Bridget "Biddy" etc) and maybe Tessa (who would go by Tess and Tessie a bit I assume) won't fit into that...
But I really really like it! Grrrrrr! :p
I guess its a good thing this is all hypothetical and kids are a long way (I hope!) off for me!
Thanks for your opinion!
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"I guess the other thing is that my other kids are likely to have quite formal full names as fns and will all have nns..."
That would be a problem for me, and possibly for the child who stands out.
I like sibling names to be equal, not similair really, but equal in style, weight...
A woman I know was told by a friend when she expected her second child that sibling names should be "the same". She had an Emma, and named the second girl Elsa, because of what her friend had said. I think that's terrible, they're too much alike, and Emma would not be hard to pair with an equal girl name.
(It also shows how a lot of people don't really think too much about names. She didn't have an input herself, or a list of names she liked, just "my friend said..." Odd.)
So I don't mean equal like "the same". I guess what I mean is that if I met sisters Beatrice and Rory I would really question the parents. They're not equal.
So, as much as I love Tessa, I think her sisters should have less formal names too. Nora is a full name to me, and nice with Tessa. Ella (for example) isn't a full name to me, but Ella and Tessa could go together as that type of names. Or her sisters could just have shorter
less traditional names.
Tessa and Katherine - no
Tessa and Kate - yes
Tessa and Stella? Yes
Tessa and Lily - yes
I think you get my point, I'm rambling.
It is a dilemma though, I'm glad that my kids are also just hypothetical for now.
I could discuss this all night, because I really dislike NNs as given names. But Tessa... is so beautiful. It is amazing what one letter can do. The Tessan version I mentioned ( kind of like Tess-Anne) is garbage to me. Drop the N and wow! There's Tessa.
Is there a risk of Tessa becoming really trendy?
That would be a problem for me, and possibly for the child who stands out.
I like sibling names to be equal, not similair really, but equal in style, weight...
A woman I know was told by a friend when she expected her second child that sibling names should be "the same". She had an Emma, and named the second girl Elsa, because of what her friend had said. I think that's terrible, they're too much alike, and Emma would not be hard to pair with an equal girl name.
(It also shows how a lot of people don't really think too much about names. She didn't have an input herself, or a list of names she liked, just "my friend said..." Odd.)
So I don't mean equal like "the same". I guess what I mean is that if I met sisters Beatrice and Rory I would really question the parents. They're not equal.
So, as much as I love Tessa, I think her sisters should have less formal names too. Nora is a full name to me, and nice with Tessa. Ella (for example) isn't a full name to me, but Ella and Tessa could go together as that type of names. Or her sisters could just have shorter
less traditional names.
Tessa and Katherine - no
Tessa and Kate - yes
Tessa and Stella? Yes
Tessa and Lily - yes
I think you get my point, I'm rambling.
It is a dilemma though, I'm glad that my kids are also just hypothetical for now.
I could discuss this all night, because I really dislike NNs as given names. But Tessa... is so beautiful. It is amazing what one letter can do. The Tessan version I mentioned ( kind of like Tess-Anne) is garbage to me. Drop the N and wow! There's Tessa.
Is there a risk of Tessa becoming really trendy?
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I don't think so...there isn't a significant popular culture reference that I know of that would cause a jump in popularity and its popularity has sat at around the same point (around 250) for about 20 yrs in the US and it doesn't rank in the top 100 anywhere else. It also doesn't have a super trendy sound to it (I don't think) because it isn't overly girly or frilly which seem to be the trends at the moment.
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I went to school with a girl named Teressa (with the short E sound). Tessa could easily be a nickname for Teressa.
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Ahh! You're just like me! Tess(a) is definately one of my top 2 favorite girl names at the moment, if not my favorite. But just like you, I can't stand Teresa. I think it can definately stand on its own, at least that's how I'd use it. I still can't decide whether I prefer Tess or Tessa though. I really love both, but think I'd lean toward Tess just a little bit. I find it a tough name to pair with mns. Have you come up with anything?
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I like Tess as well but I am sure if I had a Tessa, she would get Tess a lot so it doesn't bother me. I think Tessa stands a little better on its own than Tess as well.
At the moment I am thinking Tessa Rose Imani as a combo. Rose has special significance to me and I really want to use it, but it screams filler so I am not sure! The other combo I am thinking is Tessa Kathleen Imani or Tessa Niamh Kathleen. WDYT?
At the moment I am thinking Tessa Rose Imani as a combo. Rose has special significance to me and I really want to use it, but it screams filler so I am not sure! The other combo I am thinking is Tessa Kathleen Imani or Tessa Niamh Kathleen. WDYT?
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I love the name Tessa but I'm not too fussed on Teresa, either. Teresa's nice enough but I'd only use it for the nn and so, I'd never use it. Tessa most certainly stands on its own. To me, it has a similar style to Molly. It's soft and feminine, cute on a little girl but not too cutesy on a teen, with character and warmth for a woman. I went to high school with a Tessa who mostly goes by Tess. The Tessa suits her sweet personality and big heart whilst the Tess suits her spunky side. I do prefer Tess but Tessa is just fine :)
This message was edited 6/13/2007, 6:27 PM
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I think it definitely stands on its own and I LOVE then name!!
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