Tess is the English short form of Theresa or Teresa — from the Greek therizō, meaning "to harvest" or "to reap." Thomas Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles (1891) made Tess a tragic literary icon.
Tess has been continuously used since the 19th century. Today it sits in the U.S. top 800 — chosen by parents who want one syllable of vintage strength.
Tess reduces to nine — the number of single-syllable harvest.