Theodore: meaning and UK use

What does Theodore mean?

Theodore derives from Greek Theodoros. Theo, Ted and Teddy are short forms; their spelling-specific popularity differs from Theodore.

Language or name family covered

Greek

Meaning or derivation

Gift of God

Our browsing group

boy; vintage, classic

Browsing groups describe our editorial shortlist, not rules about who may use a name. A name can cross languages and genders.

Sources for this entry — reviewed 2026-10-07:

• Behind the Name — Theodore

Pronunciation and related forms

THEE-uh-dor (British English)

English respellings are approximate; IPA is labelled where used. Follow the pronunciation a person or family chooses, and check it with a speaker of the intended language if that connection matters to you.

Related forms recorded in the reference: Theo, Ted, Teddy. These may be full forms, diminutives or forms in another language; they are not necessarily pronounced alike or counted together in statistics.

How popular is Theodore?

In 2025, 2,638 baby boys in England and Wales were registered as Theodore, making it the 9th most popular boys’ name. That is down 1 place on 2024, when it ranked 8th. Ten years earlier, in 2015, it ranked 45th, so it has climbed 36 places in a decade. Its best year in the ONS series was 2024, at 8th. These figures cover England and Wales, not the whole UK.

2025 rank (boys)

9th

2025 registrations

2,638

Best rank in this series

8th (2024)

Every year from 1996 to 2025

Theodore: rank and number of baby boys by year (ONS)

Year	Rank	Babies
2025	9	2,638
2024	8	2,761
2023	8	2,666
2022	8	2,835
2021	11	2,889
2020	14	2,737
2019	18	2,663
2018	29	1,932
2017	38	1,761
2016	42	1,484
2015	45	1,302
2014	59	1,090
2013	78	822
2012	97	655
2011	124	505
2010	137	437
2009	138	433
2008	128	442
2007	141	390
2006	148	339
2005	158	292
2004	174	237
2003	165	242
2002	163	241
2001	183	192
2000	176	196
1999	187	178
1998	192	172
1997	197	166
1996	209	152

The sum of published counts in this 1996–2025 boys series is 32,849. This is a lower bound where years are suppressed, not the number of living people with the name. A best rank is the best position within this series; it does not establish an all-time record.

Sources: ONS release, 2025; girls' dataset; boys' dataset. Our 20 top-ten positions were checked against Table 1 in the 2025 workbooks. The history chart and spelling comparisons come from the separate ONS 1996–2025 workbook, checked 7 October 2026. Spelling variants are separate entries. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate statistics.

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Names to compare with Theodore

These suggestions share a browsing group and one or more of our style tags or source-context labels. They are taste comparisons, not etymological relatives or a popularity ranking.

• Arthurvintage, classic · Meaning unknown
• Felixclassic, vintage · Lucky or successful
• Georgeclassic · Farmer or earthworker
• Oscarclassic, vintage · Possibly deer friend
• Reubenclassic, vintage · Behold, a son
• Tobiasclassic, vintage · A form of Tobiah

Read the UK naming guide for the difference between inspiration lists and official statistics, or return to the full name finder.

Registering or changing the name

Once you decide on Theodore, confirm the registration process for your UK nation with the register office. If you later want to change a registered name, the route depends on the circumstances and may require consent from people with parental responsibility.

Start with GOV.UK birth registration or GOV.UK guidance on changing a child’s name. Our registration guide and child name-change guide explain where to find the relevant official process.