Theodore

Theodore: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “gift of God”
Origin: Greek
Say it: THEE-uh-dor · 3 syllables
Used for: Boys

From Greek Theodoros, combining theos 'god' and doron 'gift.' The name has been borne by numerous saints, theologians, and rulers.

English names Greek names Names meaning gift Names meaning faith Classic names International names

How popular is Theodore?

20243,612 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Theodore in 202412,024

2024 rank#4 boys

Peak year2024

Total US babies since 1880304,723

Theodore is rising: use over the last five years is 5.5× what it was a decade earlier.

Names like Theodore

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Theodoragift of God · Greek
Teddygift of God · Greek
Sebastianfrom Sebaste · Greek
Alexanderdefender of men · Greek
Lukefrom Lucania · Greek
Christopherbearer of Christ · Greek
Angelmessenger · Greek
Andrewmanly, brave · Greek

Theodore questions

What does the name Theodore mean?

Theodore means "gift of God". It comes from Greek. From Greek Theodoros, combining theos 'god' and doron 'gift.' The name has been borne by numerous saints, theologians, and rulers.

Is Theodore a boy or girl name?

Theodore is mainly a boy's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Theodore?

12,024 US babies were named Theodore in 2024. Its peak year was 2024.

How do you pronounce Theodore?

Theodore is usually pronounced THEE-uh-dor.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.