To be clear, my name is Tess. Not Tessa. My entire life I've been asked if my name was short for anything, or just assumed to be Tessa, the name I despise most. Though, Tess does come from the same Greek origins as Teresa, meaning “to harvest” or “summer” (Allen). Oddly enough, winter is one of my favorite seasons. I love the snow, the way it lands on buildings, trees, and the flurries that surround you. Although my name's significance holds something different than its literal definition for me, it fits how I embody and view my name perfectly. 

Tess isn’t an uncommon name; however, it’s certainly not popular among baby names (“Popular Baby Names”). This captures my personality perfectly. It creates a strong presence without being overpowering. It carries itself the same way as my great-grandmother Tess, my namesake. She was light-hearted, and fun with a sense of serenity. Tess had a love for cheating during board games with my mother, often making rules along the way to benefit herself. Growing up poor, my great-grandmother made sure that if her family had nothing else, they had each other. Tess’ mother was an immigrant from Austria and the matriarch of the family. Having  strong maternal and familial presences in childhood, my great-grandmother took this value of family and passed it to my mother who emphasized this with me and my siblings.

Within my own family, and myself, I recognize the similarities between me and my great-grandmother. As the youngest, I spent the last two years at home alone while my brothers were at college. I missed the presence of the easiest people to annoy around and vowed to stay close by visiting and calling them often. To this day, our facetimes can last for hours, talking about everything and nothing simultaneously. To me, my name signifies and emphasizes this importance of family. Coming from my great-grandmother’s name directly, Tess is family, and through this I embody its meaning by valuing keeping family close.

My great-grandmother carried herself in more ways than her ties to her family. She had the ability to captivate a room with the sound of her voice. I was told it was smooth, and sweet, a voice you could listen to forever. She sang beautifully, a trait I know I will never inherit, and carried herself with integrity and strength. I never met her, however, based on the descriptions my mom provides me I understand the importance of her as my namesake. Although Tess appears to be a mere short four letters, it’s not to be underestimated. Its simplicity holds a significance that resembles the way in which my great-grandmother carried herself, and the way I strive to live.

Works Cited

Allen, Jamie. “Tess Baby Name Meaning.” The Bump, 7 Feb. 2024, https://www.thebump.com/b/tess-baby-name. Accessed 10 Feb. 2024.

Buchsbaum, Tess. Selfie of Tess Buchsbaum. 11 Mar. 2024. Author's personal collection.

“Popular Baby Names.” Social Security Administration, n.d., https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/. Accessed 10 Feb. 2024.