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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Teresa

53 replies

FloydOnThePull · 20/05/2018 13:20

DH and I have settled on calling our baby girl Tess. I worry that it might be too cutesy for an adult woman and therefore would like to give her the option of a more formal name that she could use when she's older if she wanted to. We've considered other options for a longer name but it has come down to a straight decision between Teresa (known as Tess) or just Tess.

As an example, DH and I both work in the sort of professions where there aren't that many women at the top anyway and those that can chose to go with a shortening for the office and a more formal version to the outside world e.g. Liz in the office but Elizabeth when corresponding with new clients or giving a speech (obviously, I'd love to think that by the time our daughter is starting her career there will be much better workplace equality and people wouldn't judge based on a name but sadly that's not the world we currently live in).

We would only refer to her as Tess. We both like the name Teresa but DH has reservations on the basis that our current Prime Minister is Theresa May (note we are proposing the different spelling). Politics wise we're both floating voters but would probably vote Lib Dem more often than not. My point is that, nobody but close family would know she even has the longer version as we'd be calling her Tess and by the time she's old enough to consider using the option, Theresa May will be a distant memory.

Anyway, long ramble to get to the point but, would you be put off calling a baby Teresa simply because people might assume that you had named her after Theresa May?

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HeyDolly · 20/05/2018 14:11

Hate Theresa/ Teresa but love Tessa/Tess.

Wellhellooo · 20/05/2018 14:12

Stick with Tess

TatianaLarina · 20/05/2018 14:23

I never liked Theresa but May would put me off even more. She will never be a distant memory given that she’s completely fucked the country.

Really like Tessa though. If you call her Theresa she routinely be called her full name. If you want her to be Tess she needs to be Tessa.

I think Tess for an adult on its own is too familiar for a professional environment.

Aprilmightbemynewname · 20/05/2018 14:25

Hoping your surname isn't Green ....

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 20/05/2018 14:38

Teresa is a fab name. Just cross your fingers she doesn't marry a Mr Green thoughGrin

DramaAlpaca · 20/05/2018 14:42

Tess is perfect on its own.

I don't think it's cutesy at all & it works for all ages.

Lovely name.

KateMcCallisterHAmom · 20/05/2018 14:52

I knew an Esther who went by Tess.

ScreenQueen · 20/05/2018 14:56

Anyway, long ramble to get to the point but, would you be put off calling a baby Teresa simply because people might assume that you had named her after Theresa May?

Yes, unfortunately I would be totally put off by this. TM has wrecked that name forever. Love Tess though...are there other suitable long names if required? Is Vanessa too much of a stretch for example?

VioletCharlotte · 20/05/2018 14:57

Teresa's a nice name, but the association with TM would put me off using it too! I think think Tess is a good, strong name on it's own for a woman, it's not 'little girly' at all.

bridgetreilly · 20/05/2018 14:59

I wouldn't worry about Theresa May. By the time your little girl's old enough to know, no one will remember her. And when she's young, she'll be called Tess anyway, so hardly anyone will know that her full name is Teresa.

VickieCherry · 20/05/2018 14:59

Given the May is the current PM, I would assume you named your daughter after her and were a big fan. She won't be forgotten, she'll likely be the PM who saw in Brexit.

I know an adult Tess and have never thought of it as a cutesy name. It's fine.

felicitythemangyfox · 20/05/2018 15:04

Teresa is fine, and I'm sure people would get past the Theresa May association quickly and just think if it as her name (especially if TM gets voted out sooner rather than later - here's hoping!).

That said, imo Tess is a much nicer name, and if you want a long/formal version I'd go for Tessa.

felicitythemangyfox · 20/05/2018 15:11

Also, if you call her Teresa then she might end up as Terri.

CherryBlossom23 · 20/05/2018 15:12

I know one child names Teresa but called Tess 90% of the time. Yes, everyone will call her Tess but Teresa is still her full name so it will be used occasionally. I think Tess is fine for an adult on its own, not cutesy or childish. Love Tess but not a fan of Teresa.

CherryBlossom23 · 20/05/2018 15:14

You could also go with Thérèse if you like that better than Teresa?

BackforGood · 20/05/2018 15:18

I don't think people will associate it with Theresa May.
I do think it creates issues when it is spelt differently from the way I;d normally spell it.
I don't think Tess, naturally comes from Teresa / Theresa though.

TatianaLarina · 20/05/2018 15:18

A friend of mine’s DD is called Theresa after her late GM who had just died. She’s mainly called Theresa at school altho she’s called Tess and Tessie at home. Tessa seems the obvious solution for you.

LOL @ the Idea that Brexit will be forgotten in a hurry. If May goes thro with it we will still be dealing with the economic and logistic fallout when your DD goes to uni.

IHaveBrilloHair · 20/05/2018 15:19

Isn't Tess an old shortening for Elizabeth?

ILikeMyChickenFried · 20/05/2018 15:27

Teresa is a lovely name. It wouldn't occur to me that you'd named her after the PM, that would be quite an odd thing to Do!

FloydOnThePull · 20/05/2018 15:37

This is so mixed, almost wish I hadn't asked 😂

Thanks for the suggestions but we've been through every other possibility for a longer version and discounted them all for one reason or another. I think we'll end up with sticking with Tess.

I think one of my other worries is that if she is just Tess then there's no much she can do with it if she hates it (although she does have a middle name she could use). I loathe my name and there are no nickname options with it and my middle name is my sister's first name so I can't go by that either (don't get me started on that madness!). I think I'm just trying to hedge our bets so I don't feel like I'm saddling her with no options.

OP posts:
zen1 · 20/05/2018 15:42

I also knew an Esther who went by the name Tess. I like Tess on its on.

catalinablue · 20/05/2018 15:43

My mind definitely goes straight to Theresa May which puts me off a bit. Though I don't like the name much anyway, very dated. Tessa or just Tess is nicer, and fine for an adult imo.

Tawdrylocalbrouhaha · 20/05/2018 15:44

Tess has always been a form of Theresa, so people will assume it's short for that, until she tells them otherwise. I would go for the full name, in the same way I wouldn't put Becky or Jimmy on a birth certificate.

Also I like both Theresa and Tess!

MikeUniformMike · 20/05/2018 15:45

Just Tess is fine.

N0tLinked1n · 20/05/2018 15:46

I loved the name Maggie and people (my parents' generation) all instantly said ''what like Thatcher?! ha ha). I could have said no Dad, like your own sister, but still the first association was Margaret Thatcher!