Every Boy Name

Boy's name

Theo

Say it THEE-oh 2 syllables

Greek · from Theodore, “god + gift”

Loved across Quebec, Scotland, four German cities, and 3 more places. Common in France, England and Wales, Ontario, and 12 more places. Rare in Italy, Poland, Israel, and 3 more places.

1 in 113 boys born in England and Wales in 2025. Number 12 there.

Theo in every place

Rank, count and share in all 40 places: loved in 9, common in 15, rare in 6.
Theo in every place we hold figures for
Place Rankyear Boysshare 5 years earlier
British Isles
England and Wales12 (up)20252,3981 in 113172020
Scotland6 (up)20252431 in 81142020
Northern Ireland720251061 in 7872020
Ireland21 (up)20251951 in 122342020
North America
Ontario (province)33 (up)2024268about 1 in 223962019
Quebec (province)9 (up)2025398about 1 in 73212020
British Columbia (province)21 (up)202380about 1 in 163742018
Nova Scotia (province)Not in the published top 212025Not listed2020
Oceania
New South Wales (state)32 (up)2025177862020
Victoria (state)50 (new in the list)2025130Not listed2020
Queensland (state)27 (up)2025144502020
South Australia (state)47 (new in the list)202533Not listed2020
New Zealand10 (up)2025149352020
Western Europe
France (as Théo)41 (down)20251,2001 in 252252020
Netherlands231 (up)202571about 1 in 9375832020
Central Europe
Austria18 (up)20253581 in 106282020
Switzerland14 (up)20252681 in 134482020
Berlin (city)14 (up)2023111about 1 in 140192018
Munich (city)6 (up)202573about 1 in 60212020
Cologne (city)4 (up)202367about 1 in 95202018
Bonn (city)9 (up)202530about 1 in 106142020
Leipzig (city)4 (up)202534about 1 in 8552020
Rostock (city)15 (down)20258about 1 in 13112020
Nordic countries
Norway22 (up)20252321 in 100282020
Sweden23 (down)2025344about 1 in 125192020
Denmark7 (up)2025432212020
FinlandNot in the published top 502025No list2020
IcelandNot in the published top 102025No list2020
Southern Europe
SpainNot in the published top 1002024Not listed2019
Catalonia (region)107 (up)2025431 in 4811402020
Italy104 (new in the list)20242421 in 782Not listed2019
Central and Eastern Europe
Poland155 (up)2025671 in 1,8872232020
HungaryNot in the published top 1002025Not listed2020
Slovenia249 (new in the list)20255about 1 in 1,448Not listed2020
EstoniaNot in the published top 272025Not listed2020
Moscow (city)Not in the published top 612025Not listed2020
CroatiaNot in the published top 502025No list2020
Middle East
TurkeyNot in the published top 302025Not listed2020
Israel (published as תיאו)357 (up)202435about 1 in 2,4317422019
Latin America
ArgentinaNot in the published top 202024Not listed2019

Germany publishes no national list; the German rows are city registers. Israel publishes names in Hebrew script; the original is shown beside the name. About: the publisher leaves out its smallest names, so the share is approximate. ▲ and ▼ compare the rank with five years earlier. Not listed five years earlier: not in that year’s list. No list: the place published no list that year. How these figures are computed.

About the name

Most often, Theo is short for Theodore, whose Greek parts mean 'god' and 'gift'. It can also shorten Theobald, Theophilus or the feminine Theodora, so it sits comfortably at the head of a whole family of names.

2 more paragraphs

With two syllables, THEE-oh, it is light and friendly while still having a classical feel. The accented Théo is common, and related names include Teo, Theodore and Theobald.

Theo is a top-ten name in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Quebec, and ranks nearly as high in Denmark. It also appears well up the lists in Switzerland and Austria. The trend is plainly upward: it is climbing in most of the places that record it. French records show it at its height around the turn of the century, so it has been familiar there for a while.

Meaning, origin and how to say it

Say it
THEE-oh · 2 syllables · Stress on beat 1 of 2.
Meaning
from Theodore, “god + gift”
Origin
Greek
Spellings counted
Counted together with Theo here: Théo.
Related names
Theodore, Teo, Teobald, Theobald
Where Theo comes from (Wiktionary)

Short form of Theodore, or of the rare given names Theobald, Theophilus or Theodoric, or of Theodora.

Shortened from the Wiktionary entry for Theo. Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Theo over time

Rising in 16 of the 27 regions we can compare over five years, falling in 2. Peak in France: 2001.

Rank in England and Wales, 1996 to 2025

Theo in England and Wales: #243 in 1996, a peak of #9 in 2022, and #12 in 2025.

#1#10#50#100#300200020052010201520202025Top 101996: #243, 120 boys1997: #229, 134 boys1998: #231, 132 boys1999: #212, 145 boys2000: #156, 232 boys2001: #142, 289 boys2002: #137, 317 boys2003: #126, 385 boys2004: #113, 485 boys2005: #118, 467 boys2006: #91, 751 boys2007: #73, 974 boys2008: #58, 1,295 boys2009: #55, 1,323 boys2010: #50, 1,478 boys2011: #50, 1,407 boys2012: #44, 1,629 boys2013: #41, 1,759 boys2014: #37, 2,008 boys2015: #33, 2,103 boys2016: #29, 2,279 boys2017: #21, 2,616 boys2018: #19, 2,741 boys2019: #16, 2,729 boys2020: #17, 2,598 boys2021: #15, 2,514 boys2022: #9, 2,808 boys2023: #11, 2,489 boys2024: #12, 2,387 boys2025: #12, 2,398 boys#243 in 1996peak #9, 2022#12in 2025
Show the numbers
YearRankBoys
1996243120
1997229134
1998231132
1999212145
2000156232
2001142289
2002137317
2003126385
2004113485
2005118467
200691751
200773974
2008581,295
2009551,323
2010501,478
2011501,407
2012441,629
2013411,759
2014372,008
2015332,103
2016292,279
2017212,616
2018192,741
2019162,729
2020172,598
2021152,514
202292,808
2023112,489
2024122,387
2025122,398

Source: Office for National Statistics (OGL v3)

The long view: in France

Half of the boys named Theo in France since 1925 were born in or after 2004. Peak: 2001, about 2,244 per 100,000 boys. Babies per 100,000 boys, five-year periods.

1925-1929: 2.9 per 100,000 boys1930-1934: 3.5 per 100,000 boys1935-1939: 4.9 per 100,000 boys1940-1944: 5.2 per 100,000 boys19401945-1949: 3.6 per 100,000 boys1950-1954: 3 per 100,000 boys1955-1959: 3 per 100,000 boys1960-1964: 2.7 per 100,000 boys19601965-1969: 1.8 per 100,000 boys1970-1974: 1.8 per 100,000 boys1975-1979: 3.1 per 100,000 boys1980-1984: 6.9 per 100,000 boys19801985-1989: 43.1 per 100,000 boys1990-1994: 323.5 per 100,000 boys1995-1999: 1,138.8 per 100,000 boys2000-2004: 2,032.1 per 100,000 boys20002005-2009: 1,163.2 per 100,000 boys2010-2014: 923.9 per 100,000 boys2015-2019: 700.3 per 100,000 boys2020-2024: 531.8 per 100,000 boys20202025: 396.5 per 100,000 boys20252000-2004: about 1 in 49 boys
Show the numbers
YearsPer 100,000 boys
1925–19292.9
1930–19343.5
1935–19394.9
1940–19445.2
1945–19493.6
1950–19543
1955–19593
1960–19642.7
1965–19691.8
1970–19741.8
1975–19793.1
1980–19846.9
1985–198943.1
1990–1994323.5
1995–19991,138.8
2000–20042,032.1
2005–20091,163.2
2010–2014923.9
2015–2019700.3
2020–2024531.8
2025396.5

Source: INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (Licence Ouverte / Etalab 2.0). Dark bar: the period holding the median birth year.

Brothers and middle names for Theo

Brother names

Names that rose and fell with Theo, from the same generation, with no clashing sounds.

  1. 1 in 197, England and Wales

  2. 1 in 62, Poland

  3. 1 in 25, Poland

  4. 1 in 85, England and Wales

  5. 1 in 64, Catalonia

  6. 1 in 67, Northern Ireland

  7. 1 in 97, England and Wales

  8. 1 in 255, Scotland

  9. 1 in 177, Scotland

  10. 1 in 64, Austria

All 40 brother names for Theo

Middle names

Scored for rhythm against Theo's 2 syllables and for long, steady use.

  1. 1 in 50, Ireland

  2. 1 in 61, Northern Ireland

  3. 1 in 62, Poland

  4. 1 in 86, England and Wales

  5. 1 in 88, England and Wales

  6. 1 in 137, Scotland

  7. 1 in 224, Northern Ireland

  8. 1 in 409, Ireland

Full-name check

Theo Jack

Syllables 2-1Initials T.J.No sound clashes between the parts.

All 40 middle names for Theo

Sisters for Theo: Chloe, Zoe, Maya, and 5 more
  1. ChloeRose and fell with Theo · Same generation as Theo
  2. ZoeRose and fell with Theo · Same generation as Theo
  3. MayaRose and fell with Theo · Greek, like Theo
  4. ElenaRose and fell with Theo · Greek, like Theo
  5. EllaRose and fell with Theo · Same generation as Theo
  6. EmiliaRose and fell with Theo · Same generation as Theo
  7. LilyRose and fell with Theo · As common as Theo
  8. AvaRose and fell with Theo · As common as Theo

Girls' names from the same engine, over the girls' lists of the same publishers.

Moved with Theo

The boy names whose popularity rose and fell most like Theo's across every region and decade we hold.

  1. Common across England and Wales, three Canadian provinces, the Netherlands, and 12 more places.

  2. Loved across the UK, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and 7 more places.

  3. Common across England and Wales, three Canadian provinces, the Netherlands, and 11 more places.

  4. Common in France, the Netherlands, Sweden, and 14 more places.

  5. Rare in France, Italy, Poland, and 15 more places.

  6. Rare in France, Italy, Poland, and 17 more places.

  7. Rare across Italy, Poland, three Canadian provinces, and 11 more places.

  8. Common across France, the UK, three Nordic countries, and 11 more places.

Famous people named Theo

Theo Walcott, Theo van Doesburg, and 6 more

From Wikidata, ranked by how many Wikipedia language editions have an article on them. People: Wikidata (CC0). Links go to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists, else English.

Questions about Theo

How popular is Theo in Scotland?

Theo ranked #6 in Scotland in 2025, given to 243 boys, about 1 in 81.

Is Theo rising in popularity?

Yes, in most of the places we can check. Rising in 16 of the 27 regions we can compare over five years, falling in 2. Rising in: New Zealand, New South Wales, Queensland, British Columbia, Ontario, and 11 other regions.

What does Theo mean?

Theo comes from Theodore, which means “god + gift”, according to Wiktionary.

How many syllables does Theo have?

Theo has 2 syllables: THEE-oh.

Every rank and count on this page comes from an official birth register. How these figures are computed.

Meanings, origins and people: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikidata (CC0).

The 42 birth registers behind these figures

0kept

Kept names collect here.

Compare