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I like them both as nicknames for Theresa.

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I think I prefer Tessa, but it's a narrow one!

A friend of my dd's is named Tessa. It suits her although I prefer the more streamlined Tess and then only as a nn for Theresa / Teresa. Obviously they can stand on their own because people are naming their dds Tessa and Tess and they don't sound too juvenile. To my way of thinking, however, those nns can be limiting and I'd definitely go with Teresa on the bc.

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As an aside, I also know a couple who named their dd Tressie which is also a nn for Theresa / Teresa. That DOES sound very childish, imo.

I think of Tess as an nn for Tessa & don't really associate Teresa with either of them, although I know that's where it came from. Tess on its own is too associated with Tess of the D'Urbervilles for me - OTT tragic and depressing. Tessa is nicer and much more light-hearted.

I lovelovelove Tess, but I'm lukewarm on Tessa. Both work well as standalones.

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Theresa is dowdy and bleh, and I'd never consider using it just to get to Tess.

I think Tess and Tessa are lovely. I go back and forth on which I like more, but either is nice. I definitely prefer them as full names and believe they can stand on their own. I don't really like Theresa at all, it's very dated to me.

I love Tessa with the nn Tess. It can stand alone. It was what we were thinking of naming Blake if he was a girl. That or Tori.

They're cute. They're OK on their own but I prefer them as nn's for Theresa.

Oh, I have battled this one before. I think tessa is getting a bit popular. I prefer Tess, it feels quite British to me. I think I would register asTeresa (which is an underused classic) and use Tess.

I love Tessa and Tess but hate Theresa.

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I would consider using Tessa as a stand alone name. It's one of the few nicknames I think can stand alone without seeming incomplete.

I like Tessa better, and on its own. Tess is better as a nickname, though.

I think Tessa can easily be a name in it's own right but the line is a little blurrier with Tess.
Would you use Jess as a stand alone name? If no, then I probably wouldn't use Tess as one either. If yes... Well, are you sure? LOL.

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I don't mind them but they don't stand out to me. I prefer Tessa over Tess because, for me, it has more femininity, bounce, young and flair.

I love both and definitely think they each can stand on their own and do not need to be nicknames of Theresa. I don't mind Theresa, but I'd prefer either Tess or Tessa on its own.

I love Tess. If I found a name long enough that I liked and could use it as a nn for, I'd use it. But I think it can stand on its own.

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Tessa I've tried to love but it never did much for me; which is odd, considering I like Tess so much.

I like both, and would use either one as its own name, not a nickname.

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Right now, I'm leaning more toward Tessa.

They stand on their own. I suspect most people don't even know they're from Theresa.
I like Tessa more. I feel that Tess is ... like Trish, sort of hard-edged. Tessa is also vaguely aggressive in my mind. I went through a phase of liking them, but I think it was just because they seemed novel to me (I've never met a person named either one).

I like them. Short, sweet, and plenty of personality and substance. So I don't think a full name is necessary. Out of the two I prefer Tessa (it's on my list); not entirely sure why, I just prefer the sound.

They definitely stand on their own. Of the 2, I prefer Tess, but I really dislike both. I get reminded of medicine for some reason....

Tess/Tessie is my parents' cat's name. I like it Tess, although I can't help but think of a cat now!

I like Tess and Tessa. My aunt's name is Tess, short for Teresa, but I didn't even know it was short until I went to her wedding - she is always called Tess. Therefore I think it works fine as a stand alone name.

I think Tess and Tessa are meh. I'd rather be a Tessa than a Tess so I'd have the choice of what to go by. I think they work fine on their own and not as a nickname; I agree with RoxStar that they almost seem try-hard as a nickname for Theresa. (And I love Theresa with no nickname btw.)

I have a cousin named Tess, just Tess, people always ask if it's short for something.

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I have a dog named Tessa (we didn't name her, she's not named after my cousin) and we get lots of compliments on her name.

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I prefer Tessa, it just sounds more complete to me. I think Tessa can stand on it's own. I like both as a nickname for Theresa.

I've never known a Theresa whose nn was either Tessa or Tess. They all seem to either go by the complete form or use Terry as a nn.

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And I've never known a Tess. Only in the Thomas Hardy novel, Tess of the D'Urbervilles! And her sister's name was something like Liza Lu, I think. Anyway, Tessa people I know are sometimes called Tess but usually they just stay with what they've got.

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Theresa seems very Catholic; certainly where I live that would be anyone's expectation. And Tessa is denomination-neutral - I've never known a Catholic one. So that's the dividing line here.

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According to comments here, people in the States seem to prefer Tess to Tessa. Is that right, or is it pretty much a namenerd option?

I think Tessa can stand on its own, and in fact, using Tessa as a nn for Theresa seems kind of phony. Tess I think does need to be short for something, either Theresa or Tessa.

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I don't like either one. Tess is drab and frumpy, and Tessa seems babyish.