Every Boy Name

Boy's name

Theodore

Say it THEE-uh-dor 3 syllables

Latin · “god + gift”

Loved across England and Wales, three Canadian provinces, Australia, and New Zealand. Common in Quebec, Ireland, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Rare in France, Italy, Poland, and 14 more places.

1 in 103 boys born in England and Wales in 2025. Number 9 there.

Theodore in every place

Rank, count and share in all 40 places: loved in 9, common in 4, rare in 17.
Theodore in every place we hold figures for
Place Rankyear Boysshare 5 years earlier
British Isles
England and Wales9 (up)20252,6381 in 103142020
Scotland39 (up)20251021 in 193502020
Northern Ireland40 (up)2025491 in 169572020
Ireland44 (up)20251151 in 206662020
North America
Ontario (province)3 (up)2024597about 1 in 100132019
Quebec (province)11 (up)2025369about 1 in 79392020
British Columbia (province)3 (up)2023188about 1 in 69162018
Nova Scotia (province)6 (up)202530132020
Oceania
New South Wales (state)3 (up)2025440152020
Victoria (state)5 (up)2025350172020
Queensland (state)3 (up)202534262020
South Australia (state)5 (up)202598242020
New Zealand5 (up)2025173132020
Western Europe
France (as Théodore)203 (up)20252851 in 1,0622672020
Netherlands458 (up)202532about 1 in 2,0799752020
Central Europe
Austria436 (up)2025111 in 3,4619612020
Switzerland (as Théodore)351 (up)2025421 in 8575502020
Berlin (city)950 (down)20234about 1 in 3,8784732018
Munich (city)Rare: below the complete list2025Not listed2020
Cologne (city)418 (new in the list)20232about 1 in 3,189Not listed2018
Bonn (city)397 (new in the list)20251about 1 in 3,170Not listed2020
Leipzig (city)Rare: below the complete list20254032020
Rostock (city)Rare: below the complete list2025Not listed2020
Nordic countries
NorwayRare: below the complete list2025Not listed2020
Sweden115 (up)202588about 1 in 4901182020
DenmarkNot in the published top 502025Not listed2020
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)640 (new in the list)202541 in 5,176Not listed2020
Italy774 (new in the list)2024111 in 17,214Not listed2019
Central and Eastern Europe
Poland249 (up)2025231 in 5,4964402020
HungaryNot in the published top 1002025Not listed2020
SloveniaRare: below the complete list2025Not 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
IsraelRare: below the complete list2024Not listed2019
Latin America
ArgentinaNot in the published top 202024Not listed2019

Germany publishes no national list; the German rows are city registers. 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

Theodore comes from the Greek Theódōros, made of theós, 'god', and dôron, 'gift'. It came to English through Latin, and its spread owes much to St Theodore of Amasea, an early saint. Despite the similar look, it is unrelated to Theodoric.

2 more paragraphs

Three syllables, THEE-uh-dor, give it a formal full form with an easy short one, Theo. The name has many relatives: Théodore, Theodor, Fyodor, Teodor, Teodoro and Bogdan among them.

Theodore has become a favourite in Canada and Australia, ranking near the very top in Ontario, British Columbia and New South Wales. In continental Europe it is much rarer. Canadian records show it reaching its peak only very recently, and it is rising in most of the places it is listed.

Meaning, origin and how to say it

Say it
THEE-uh-dor · 3 syllables · Stress on beat 1 of 3.
Meaning
“god + gift”
Origin
Latin and Greek
Spellings counted
Counted together with Theodore here: Théodore.
Related names
Bogdan, Bohdan, Theodor, Fyodor, Teodor, Božidar, Fedor, Feodor, Teodoro, Theodorus, Tivadar, Fjodor, Fiódor, Fiodor, Fedir, Theodoros, Tódor
Where Theodore comes from (Wiktionary)

Learned borrowing from Latin Theodōrus, borrowed from Ancient Greek Θεόδωρος (Theódōros), from θεός (theós, “god”) + δῶρον (dôron, “gift”). The name was popularized in reference to the prominent St Theodore of Amasea. Unrelated to Theodoric.

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

Theodore over time

Rising in 11 of the 19 regions we can compare over five years, falling in 0. Peak in Ontario and British Columbia: 2023.

Rank in England and Wales, 1996 to 2025

Theodore in England and Wales: #209 in 1996, a peak of #8 in 2022, and #9 in 2025.

#1#10#50#100#300200020052010201520202025Top 101996: #209, 152 boys1997: #197, 166 boys1998: #192, 172 boys1999: #187, 178 boys2000: #176, 196 boys2001: #183, 192 boys2002: #163, 241 boys2003: #165, 242 boys2004: #174, 237 boys2005: #158, 292 boys2006: #148, 339 boys2007: #141, 390 boys2008: #128, 442 boys2009: #138, 433 boys2010: #137, 437 boys2011: #124, 505 boys2012: #97, 655 boys2013: #78, 822 boys2014: #59, 1,090 boys2015: #45, 1,302 boys2016: #42, 1,484 boys2017: #38, 1,761 boys2018: #29, 1,932 boys2019: #18, 2,663 boys2020: #14, 2,737 boys2021: #11, 2,889 boys2022: #8, 2,835 boys2023: #8, 2,666 boys2024: #8, 2,761 boys2025: #9, 2,638 boys#209 in 1996peak #8, 2022#9in 2025
Show the numbers
YearRankBoys
1996209152
1997197166
1998192172
1999187178
2000176196
2001183192
2002163241
2003165242
2004174237
2005158292
2006148339
2007141390
2008128442
2009138433
2010137437
2011124505
201297655
201378822
2014591,090
2015451,302
2016421,484
2017381,761
2018291,932
2019182,663
2020142,737
2021112,889
202282,835
202382,666
202482,761
202592,638

Source: Office for National Statistics (OGL v3)

The long view: in Ontario and British Columbia

Half of the boys named Theodore in Ontario and British Columbia since 1925 were born in or after 2016. Peak: 2023, about 1,171 per 100,000 boys. Babies per 100,000 boys, five-year periods.

1925-1929: 95.8 per 100,000 boys1930-1934: 112.7 per 100,000 boys1935-1939: 112.2 per 100,000 boys1940-1944: 95.3 per 100,000 boys19401945-1949: 80.6 per 100,000 boys1950-1954: 87.8 per 100,000 boys1955-1959: 97 per 100,000 boys1960-1964: 90.1 per 100,000 boys19601965-1969: 74.9 per 100,000 boys1970-1974: 63.1 per 100,000 boys1975-1979: 44.2 per 100,000 boys1980-1984: 40.9 per 100,000 boys19801985-1989: 44.4 per 100,000 boys1990-1994: 37.8 per 100,000 boys1995-1999: 48.6 per 100,000 boys2000-2004: 60.3 per 100,000 boys20002005-2009: 78.1 per 100,000 boys2010-2014: 225.1 per 100,000 boys2015-2019: 645.7 per 100,000 boys2020-2024: 1,062.5 per 100,000 boys20202020-2024: about 1 in 94 boys
Show the numbers
YearsPer 100,000 boys
1925–192995.8
1930–1934112.7
1935–1939112.2
1940–194495.3
1945–194980.6
1950–195487.8
1955–195997
1960–196490.1
1965–196974.9
1970–197463.1
1975–197944.2
1980–198440.9
1985–198944.4
1990–199437.8
1995–199948.6
2000–200460.3
2005–200978.1
2010–2014225.1
2015–2019645.7
2020–20241,062.5

Source: Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (OGL-Ontario); BC Vital Statistics Agency (BC Data Catalogue) (OGL-BC). Dark bar: the period holding the median birth year.

Brothers and middle names for Theodore

Brother names

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

  1. 1 in 83, England and Wales

  2. 1 in 192, England and Wales

  3. 1 in 128, Ireland

  4. 1 in 67, Northern Ireland

  5. 1 in 130, Scotland

  6. 1 in 97, England and Wales

  7. 1 in 85, England and Wales

  8. 1 in 153, Northern Ireland

  9. 1 in 196, Scotland

  10. 1 in 204, England and Wales

All 40 brother names for Theodore

Middle names

Scored for rhythm against Theodore's 3 syllables and for long, steady use.

  1. 1 in 50, Ireland

  2. 1 in 187, England and Wales

  3. 1 in 61, Northern Ireland

  4. 1 in 118, England and Wales

  5. 1 in 105, Ireland

  6. 1 in 130, Scotland

  7. 1 in 67, England and Wales

  8. 1 in 136, Northern Ireland

Full-name check

Theodore Jack

Syllables 3-1Initials T.J.No sound clashes between the parts.

All 40 middle names for Theodore

Sisters for Theodore: Sophia, Lucy, Phoebe, and 5 more
  1. SophiaRose and fell with Theodore · Same generation as Theodore
  2. LucyRose and fell with Theodore · Latin, like Theodore
  3. PhoebeRose and fell with Theodore · Same generation as Theodore
  4. GeorgiaRose and fell with Theodore · Greek, like Theodore
  5. PenelopeRose and fell with Theodore · Greek, like Theodore
  6. AvaRose and fell with Theodore · Same generation as Theodore
  7. StellaRose and fell with Theodore · Latin, like Theodore
  8. LilyRose and fell with Theodore · Same generation as Theodore

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

Moved with Theodore

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

  1. Common across the UK, Sweden, Austria, and 10 more places.

  2. Rare in France, Italy, Poland, and 11 more places.

  3. Rare in France, Italy, Poland, and 13 more places.

  4. Common across France, England and Wales, three Canadian provinces, and 8 more places.

  5. Rare in France, Italy, Poland, and 16 more places.

  6. Rare in France, Italy, Poland, and 20 more places.

  7. Rare in France, Italy, Poland, and 16 more places.

  8. Common in the Netherlands, Ontario, Austria, and 16 more places.

Famous people named Theodore

Theodore Roosevelt, Theodore Dreiser, 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 Theodore

How popular is Theodore in Ontario?

Theodore ranked #3 in Ontario in 2024, given to 597 boys, about 1 in 100.

Is Theodore rising in popularity?

Yes, in most of the places we can check. Rising in 11 of the 19 regions we can compare over five years, falling in 0. Rising in: New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria, British Columbia, Ireland, and 6 other regions.

What does Theodore mean?

Theodore means “god + gift”, according to Wiktionary.

How many syllables does Theodore have?

Theodore has 3 syllables: THEE-uh-dor.

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

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Kept names collect here.

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