UK girl's name
Therese
From Greek origin, meaning "reaper" or "to harvest".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2023. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Therese is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Therese popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2023 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4709, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2005, with 10 births.
This profile covers 110 England and Wales registrations across 22 recorded years from 1996 to 2023. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 40% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 187 living people in the UK are called Therese. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2024 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Therese ranked #4709 for girls in England and Wales in 2023, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2005, when 10 girls were registered as Therese.
- • Therese ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #424 in 2019.
- • About 187 living people in the UK are estimated to have Therese as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4709
2023
Births in 2023
4
Latest year
Peak year
2005
10 births
Estimated living
187
2026
Meaning
What does Therese mean?
The name Therese is a feminine form of the Greek name Theodoros, which is derived from the elements "theos" meaning "god" and "doron" meaning "gift." It was a popular name among early Christians, who interpreted it as meaning "gift of God." The name first appeared in the 4th century AD and was used throughout Europe during the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Saint Therese of Lisieux, a French Carmelite nun who lived from 1873 to 1897. She is known as the "Little Flower of Jesus" and was a highly influential figure in the Catholic Church, renowned for her spiritual writings and her "little way" of serving God through small acts of love and humility.
In the 16th century, the name gained prominence with Therese of Avila, a Spanish mystic and reformer of the Carmelite Order, who lived from 1515 to 1582. She was a prolific writer and is remembered for her contributions to the spiritual life and her role in the Counter-Reformation.
Another notable figure was Therese of Bavaria, a German princess who lived from 1850 to 1925. She was the last Queen consort of Bavaria and is remembered for her charitable work and support for the arts and culture.
In the 20th century, Therese Neumann, a German Catholic mystic and stigmatic, lived from 1898 to 1962. She gained widespread attention for her reported visions and experiences of the Passion of Christ, as well as her ability to survive for long periods without food or water.
The name Therese also has a literary connection, with the French novelist and playwright Therese Desqueyroux, who lived from 1892 to 1962. Her novel of the same name, published in 1927, explored themes of existentialism and the condition of women in French society.
Throughout history, the name Therese has been associated with religious devotion, mysticism, and spiritual exploration, reflecting its origins as a "gift of God." It has been borne by saints, mystics, and women of notable faith and character, cementing its place as a name with deep religious and cultural significance.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Therese over time
The chart below shows babies named Therese registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2023. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Therese, the clearest high point is 2005. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2023, compared with 10 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Therese by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Therese was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #4949 | 11 | 3 |
| 2010s | #4267 | 25 | 5 |
| 2000s | #3449 | 53 | 10 |
| 1990s | #2834 | 21 | 4 |
Geography
Where Therese is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Therese. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Therese ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #424 in 2019.
Across the UK
Therese in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#576 in 1989
9 years of NRS records, 30 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#424 in 2019
12 years of NISRA records, 49 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Therese
-
Therese Squires
designer; textile designer
1949-
-
Therese Lessore
painter; artist
painter and 3rd wife of painter Walter Richard Sickert (1860–1942)
1884-1945
-
Therese Costello
politician
Related
Names similar to Therese
- Tia 15,569
- Thea 12,888
- Tilly 11,524
- Taylor 7,401
- Tegan 6,583
- Tabitha 6,462
- Talia 5,198
- Tara 5,114
- Tiffany 4,653
- Tallulah 4,442
- Tiana 3,570
- Tamara 3,405
FAQ
Therese: questions and answers
How popular is the name Therese in the UK right now?
In 2023, Therese was ranked #4709 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Therese most popular?
The peak year on record was 2005, with 10 babies registered as Therese in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Therese?
From Greek origin, meaning "reaper" or "to harvest".
How many people are called Therese in the UK?
A total of 110 babies have been registered as Therese across the 22 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 30 more in Scotland and 49 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Therese most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Therese ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #424 in 2019. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.