Arthur
Celtic
“bear”
Mostly boys · Greek
“gift of God”
Say it THEE-uh-dorPronunciation may vary by region.
A little maybe, saved for later.
The story behind the name
Friendly nickname Theo may be responsible for some of that, though there are plenty of baby boys given Theo as their full name too. Add their numbers together along with those for Mateo and Teo, and they hands-down become the Number 1 boys' name.
Theodore and Mateo are far from interchangeable names, for sure, and some Theodores are called Teddy....or Theodore. But we predict an overwhelming number of little boys called Theo or Teo on American playgrounds over the coming years.
Theodore is a derivative of the Latin Theodorus, a variation of the Greek name Theodōros. The components are from the Greek words theos, meaning "God," and dōron, meaning "gift," giving Theodore the meaning "God-given" or "gift of God." Names with similar origins include Theodora, Dorothy, and Dorothea.
A little perspective
Recorded US births over time
| Year | Category | US rank | Births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Boys | 4 | 13,355 |
| 2025 | Girls | 13,074 | 7 |
| 2024 | Boys | 4 | 12,069 |
| 2024 | Girls | 8,393 | 13 |
| 2023 | Boys | 7 | 11,093 |
| 2023 | Girls | 9,549 | 11 |
| 2022 | Boys | 10 | 10,824 |
| 2022 | Girls | 7,603 | 15 |
| 2021 | Boys | 10 | 9,600 |
| 2021 | Girls | 12,105 | 8 |
| 2020 | Boys | 23 | 8,638 |
| 2020 | Girls | 7,925 | 14 |
| 2019 | Boys | 36 | 7,896 |
| 2019 | Girls | 13,689 | 7 |
| 2018 | Boys | 44 | 7,088 |
| 2017 | Boys | 61 | 5,973 |
| 2016 | Boys | 83 | 4,910 |
| 2016 | Girls | 14,209 | 7 |
| 2015 | Boys | 99 | 4,155 |
| 2014 | Boys | 126 | 3,228 |
Rankings are calculated separately for boys and girls. Records below the publication threshold may be missing; gaps are not zero births.
No nicknames are listed yet. The name can stand beautifully on its own.
Keep the possibilities coming
More names with a similar feeling or shared roots.
Celtic
“bear”
German form of Latin Augustus
“great, magnificent”
English, diminutive of Charles, French from Ger…
“free man”
Hebrew
“Yahweh is God”
Hebrew
“help”
Latin
“happy, fortunate”