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Theodore as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Theodore

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The baby name Theodore is a Boy name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced THEE-ə-dor.

Theodore is Greek, Latin in Origin.

Gender: Boy
Syllables: 3
Origin: Greek, Latin
Pronunciation: THEE-ə-dor

What is the meaning of the name Theodore ?

The baby name Theodore is a boy name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced THEE-ə-dor.

Theodore is Greek, Latin in Origin.

Theodore is the English form of Latin Theodorus, from Ancient Greek Θεόδωρος (Theódōros), the earliest attested shape of the name. It is a theophoric compound: θεός (theós), god, appears as the combining stem θεο-, joined to δῶρον (dôron), gift. The literal sense is therefore gift of God, with the second element marking the thing given.

Greek bearers include Theodorus of Samos and Theodorus of Byzantium, and Christian usage was reinforced by soldier-saints, Byzantine churchmen, and two popes. Medieval and Orthodox traditions spread cognates such as Russian Fyodor, Bulgarian Todor, Romanian Tudor, Amharic Tewodros, and French Théodore. In English, Theodore was familiar in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, helped by Theodore Roosevelt and Teddy; after a mid-century decline, it returned sharply in the 2010s and entered the U.S. Top 10 in 2021, often shortened to Theo.

Theodore has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Theodore

Theodore II Politician · Born 840 Theodore II can refer to several historical figures, most notably emperors, popes, and other rulers who shared that name. T. R. Knight Actor · Born 1973 · United States Theodore Raymond Knight, known as T. R. Knight, is an American actor best known for playing Dr. George O'Malley on Grey's Anatomy. He was born on March 26, 1973. Theodore Mangaphas Royal · Born 1200 · Byzantine Empire Theodore Mangaphas, also known as Mankaphas, was a Byzantine nobleman best known for rebelling against Emperor Alexios I Komnenos in the late 11th century. The Greek form of his name was Θεόδωρος Μαγκαφᾶς.

Theodore – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Boys 2025 #1 — 836
Canada Boys 2024 #3 1,429 2,588
United States Boys 2024 #4 12,011 7,044
FJ Boys 0 #17 1 603
HT Girls 0 #23 1 950
KR Boys 0 #27 1 897
NA 0 #33 1 2,537
ID 0 #39 1 2,238
BI Boys 0 #44 1 917
CM 0 #53 4 2,592
CY 0 #60 1 1,632
GR 0 #78 60 3,911
MV Boys 0 #79 1 3,375
GR Boys 0 #90 247 6,912
JM 0 #91 3 3,714
TW 0 #100 4 4,523
Sweden Boys 2022 #103 85 1,509
PH 0 #107 4 5,607
OM 0 #120 2 6,215
Switzerland Boys 2024 #121 17 1,769
CY Boys 0 #125 7 3,473
ID Boys 0 #135 1 4,130
BW Boys 0 #136 14 4,685
MU 0 #137 1 3,613
BW Girls 0 #149 3 4,216
MT Boys 0 #179 1 4,064
AE 0 #186 2 10,220
DK 0 #205 2 5,198
JM Boys 0 #207 66 6,876
BG Boys 0 #212 9 3,850
LU Boys 0 #218 3 4,970
CM Boys 0 #223 514 12,054
NA Boys 0 #223 13 6,830
PS 0 #226 1 5,692
MO Boys 0 #231 4 5,842
GH 0 #247 2 5,396
SG 0 #259 11 11,010
NG 0 #266 7 5,926
JM Girls 0 #278 1 7,507
IL 0 #281 2 6,291
France Girls 1964 #282 3 1,216
GH Boys 0 #288 59 8,138
JP Boys 0 #300 4 7,909
CZ Boys 0 #305 1 6,530
CN Boys 0 #307 13 9,639
Canada Girls 1996 #310 5 2,386
SA 0 #312 1 10,560
DK Boys 0 #329 4 7,401
GH Girls 0 #334 4 6,973
GT 0 #337 2 5,948
MY 0 #347 8 12,352
HK 0 #351 7 8,483
MU Girls 0 #361 2 8,539
MU Boys 0 #367 3 8,477
PH Boys 0 #368 16 11,440
France Boys 2021 #372 16 2,865
ZA 0 #374 74 14,421
PT Boys 0 #381 1 7,951
JO Boys 0 #388 2 7,057
YE 0 #398 1 8,639
BD Girls 0 #406 1 8,413
EG 0 #411 2 6,387
PH Girls 0 #429 1 13,098
SD Boys 0 #466 1 10,523
CR Boys 0 #475 13 10,188
HK Boys 0 #488 40 12,905
RU Boys 0 #490 16 12,621
GT Boys 0 #499 1 7,625
PA Boys 0 #504 2 9,305
CM Girls 0 #526 15 11,671
PS Boys 0 #532 17 10,655
PS Girls 0 #545 3 10,981
IR Boys 0 #564 2 10,162
BH 0 #587 1 17,937
Finland Boys 2026 #592 91 3,552
SG Boys 0 #601 97 17,960
BD Boys 0 #604 2 10,045
ZA Boys 0 #613 708 25,619
IL Boys 0 #617 9 10,983
BO Boys 0 #618 5 9,244
SG Girls 0 #632 1 18,916
LB 0 #641 18 13,263
IL Girls 0 #645 1 11,648
HK Girls 0 #648 3 16,104
CL Boys 0 #654 12 13,390
IN Girls 0 #654 1 13,121
QA Boys 0 #695 13 18,093
IQ Boys 0 #697 1 13,071
NG Boys 0 #720 239 16,906
SY 0 #767 1 11,684
BR Boys 0 #778 8 12,213
KW Boys 0 #802 5 18,755
NG Girls 0 #818 9 15,093
TN 0 #861 5 13,765
EG Boys 0 #875 12 15,035
United States Girls 2024 #904 13 8,487
OM Boys 0 #910 9 17,948
CL Girls 0 #914 2 14,098
PE Boys 0 #921 6 14,506
NL Boys 0 #927 25 5,873
Germany Boys 0 #939 14 5,697
CO Boys 0 #980 2 15,656
BR Girls 0 #991 2 12,708
SA Girls 0 #1,014 1 25,931
MX Boys 0 #1,029 5 16,355
IN Boys 0 #1,035 5 16,750
MY Boys 0 #1,067 45 25,439
MY Girls 0 #1,069 4 24,821
AE Boys 0 #1,072 21 22,615
ZA Girls 0 #1,072 70 25,928
MA 0 #1,191 9 20,986
TR 0 #1,200 12 19,440
DZ 0 #1,230 5 20,130
MX Girls 0 #1,267 1 17,781
IT Boys 0 #1,409 63 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,592 23 28,008

Theodore is popular in 71 countries — most recent births per country:

France
Canada
Scotland, United Kingdom
Ireland
United States

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People also ask about Theodore

Theodore is a unisex name, given to both boys and girls.
Theodore is a 3 syllable name, pronounced THEE-ə-dor.
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Theodorus, Theódoros, Theodor, Teodor, Teodoro and Théodore.
Yes, very popular — Theodore ranked #1 in Ireland in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 10 countries.
Theodore ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2025).
Yes — 3 notable people named Theodore are in our database, including Theodore II (Politician), T. R. Knight (Actor), Theodore Mangaphas (Royal).