Tecla

Tecla is the Italian and Spanish variant of the Greek first name Thekla (Θέκλα). The name is derived from the ancient Greek Theokleía (Θεοκλεία) and consists of the words theós (θεός), meaning 'God', and kléos (κλέος), which stands for 'glory' or 'honor'. Thus, Tecla has the meaning 'honor God', 'glory be to God', or 'God's glory'.

What does the name Tecla mean?

Tecla is the Italian and Spanish form of the Greek name Thekla (Θέκλα). It derives from the ancient Greek name Theokleía (Θεοκλεία) and is based on the ancient Greek terms theós (θεός) for 'God' and kléos (κλέος) for 'glory' or 'honor'. Thus, the meaning of Tecla is 'honor God', 'glory be to God', or 'God's glory'. The saintly Thekla of Iconium lived in the 1st century and was a virgin and companion of the Apostle Paul. Other variants of Thekla include Tegla, Tekla, Thecla, and Thècle.

Where does the name Tecla come from?

Tecla is a feminine first name of Greek origin with meanings such as 'honor God' or 'glory be to God'. The components of the word come from ancient Greek: theós (θεός) means 'God' and kléos (κλέος) stands for 'glory' or 'honor'. The name is used in Italian and Spanish languages.

How do you pronounce Tecla?

The pronunciation of Tecla is two syllables and has a compact, slightly angular sound structure. The name is typically pronounced as 'Te-cla' [ˈteːkla], starting with a long 'e' sound that gives the name clarity and openness. The consonant cluster '-kl-' creates a noticeable tension in the sound progression, which is resolved by the open 'a' ending. This makes Tecla concise and balanced – clearly structured, slightly angular, and gently fading.

When is the name day of Tecla?

The name day of Tecla, celebrated in memory of Saint Thecla of Iconium, falls on September 23 (Catholic) and September 24 (Orthodox). Additionally, other name days for Tecla are observed on June 9 and October 15.

Popularity

In Germany, Tecla is a rather rare name. It has not made it onto the German name popularity lists. In Switzerland, Tecla reached its best ranking in the name charts in 1950 at 697th place. In the last ten years, the name has been given fewer than 10 times there, resulting in a ranking of 2,488 in the ten-year statistics. Between 1930 and 2024, it ranks 1,829 in Switzerland.

Famous people

• Tecla Tofano (Venezuelan artist)