Theodore (given name)

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}

{{Infobox Given Name Revised

| name = Theodore

| image= Theodore Roosevelt by the Pach Bros.jpg

| imagesize=

| caption= Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of United States

| pronunciation= {{IPAc-en|lang|ˈ|θ|iː|ə|d|ɔːr}}

| gender = Male

| meaning = "gift of the God(s)"

| region =

| origin = Greek

| name day = 9 November
Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Slovakia and Sweden

Alternative dates
7 March: Bulgaria
12 May: Greece
23 October: Czech Republic

| related names = Teodoro, Theodora, Theodorus, Dorothy

| nickname = Ted, Teddy, Theo

| footnotes =

}}

Theodore is a masculine given name. It comes from the Ancient Greek name Θεόδωρος (Theódoros), meaning "gift of God(s)" (from the Ancient Greek words θεός, (theós) "God/Gods" and δῶρον (dṓron) "gift".[http://www.mfnames.com/mnames/t/origin-and-meaning-of-theodore.htm MFnames.com – Origin and Meaning of Theodore] The name was borne by several figures in ancient Greece, such as Theodorus of Samos and Theodorus of Byzantium, but gained popularity due to the rise of Christendom.

In any form, it means "God(s)-given", or "gift of God/Gods", as do the given names Jonathan, Nathaniel, Matthew, Hibatullah, Devadatta, Dosetai, Bogdan, Diosdado, Dieudonné, and Adeodatus.{{Citation needed|date=October 2022}}

The name has risen in popularity across the Anglosphere during the 2010s and 2020s. The character Ted Mosby on the popular American sitcom How I Met Your Mother, which aired from 2005 to 2014, might have influenced increased usage of the name. Modern parents more often use the diminutive Theo than Ted.{{cite web

| url= https://omaha.com/life-entertainment/local/article_540674f1-93e3-4283-9f5d-04f9bd086b3b.html

| title= Evans: Here's a look at the US' top baby names in 2024, including one mysterious boom

| last= Evans

| first= Cleveland Kent

| date= 18 May 2025

| website= omaha.com

| publisher= Omaha World Herald

| access-date= 18 May 2025

| quote = }} Theodore was among the five most popular names for White newborn boys in the American state of Virginia in 2022.{{Cite web|url= https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/blog/2023/01/23/virginia-department-of-healths-office-of-vital-records-announces-top-fifteen-baby-names-of-2022-other-interesting-virginia-birth-data/ |title = Virginia Department of Health's Office of Vital Records Announces Top Fifteen Baby Names of 2022, Other Interesting Virginia Birth Data |date = 23 January 2023 }} It has been among the ten most popular names for newborn boys nationally in the United States since 2021.{{Cite web|url= https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/ |title = Top Baby Names of 2021 }} It has been a similarly popular name for boys in Canada.{{Cite web|url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1710014701|title=Table 17-10-0147-01 First names at birth by sex at birth, selected indicators (Number)|website=Statistics Canada|access-date=2024-08-25}}

The feminine form of Theodore is Theodora. The names Dorothy and Godiva also mean "gift of God(s)". In German, Theodore is the feminine form and the masculine form is Theodor.

{{TOC right}}

Although similar to, and probably influenced by it, the Germanic name Theodoric (and variants Theodoricus, Dietrich, Thierry, and others) has a separate origin. It's also similar to Doris, another Greek origin given name.

Variants

class="wikitable"
LanguageVariant(s)

! Notes

Albanian

| Teodor, Theodhor, Dhori

|

Amharic

| Tewodros (ቴዎድሮስ)

|

rowspan="2" | Arabic

| Tawadros ({{lang|ar|تواضروس}})

|

hibatullah

|Similar in translation to the Greek name

Aramaic

| Yahballaha (ܝܗܒܐܠܗܐ‎)

rowspan="2" | Armenian

| Thoros (Թորոս)

|

Astvacatur (Աստուածատուր), Asatur (Ասատուր)

| Translation of Greek original

rowspan="2" | Belarusian

| Fiodar (Фёдар), Todar (Тодар), Teador (Тэадор)

|

Bahdan (Багдан)

| Translation of Greek original

rowspan="2" | Bulgarian

| Todor (Тодор), Teodor (Теодор)

|

Božidar (Божидар), Bogdan (Богдан)

| Translation of Greek original

Catalan

| Teodor

|

rowspan="2" | Czech

| Teodor, Theodor

|

Bohdan

| Translation of Greek original

Danish

| Teodor, Theodor

|

Dutch

| Theodoor, Theodorus

|

English

| Theodore

|

Esperanto

| Teodoro

|

Estonian

| Theodor, Teodor, Tuudor, Tuudur

|

Ethiopian and Eritrean

| Tedros (ቴድሮስ), Tewodros (ቴዎድሮስ)

|

Finnish

| Teuvo, Teodor

|

rowspan="2" |French

| Théodore

|

Dieudonné

| Translation of Greek original

Georgian

| Teodor (თევდორე)

|

German

| Theodor

|

Greek

| Theódoros (Θεόδωρος), Thódoros (Θόδωρος), Thodorís (Θοδωρής), Theodorákis (Θεοδωράκης), Theodósios (Θεοδόσιος, Theodosius), Thódos (Θώδος), Thódis (Θώδης), Dóros (Δώρος), Dóris (Δώρης), Theodhori (Θεοδορι)

|

Hebrew

| Teodor (תאודור), Tiodor (תיאודור)

|

Hungarian

| Tivadar, Tódor

|

Indonesian

| Theodore, Theodorus, Teodorus, Teodor, Tio

|

Irish

| Téodóir

|

Italian

| Teodoro, Donato, Donatello

|

Latin

| Theodorus

|

Latvian

| Teodors

|

Lithuanian

| Teodoras

|

Macedonia

| Теодор, Тео

|

Norwegian

| Teodor, Theodor

|

Polish

| Teodor, Bożydar, Bogdan

|

Portuguese

| Teodoro, Deodoro

|

rowspan="3" | Romanian

| Tudor (also a surname)

|

Teodor

|

Bogdan

| From Slavic languages

rowspan="2" | Russian

| Fyodor (Фёдор), Fedor (Федор), Feodor (Феодор)

|

Bogdan (Богдан).

| Translation of Greek original

Scottish Gaelic

| Feadair

|

rowspan="2" | Serbo-Croatian

| Teodor (Теодор), Todor (Тодор)

|

Božidar (Божидар), Bogdan (Богдан)

| Translation of Greek original

Sicilian

| Teodoru

|

Slovene

| Teodor

|

rowspan="2" | Spanish

| Teodoro

|

Diosdado

|

Swedish

| Teodor, Theodor

|

Turkish

| Tevazirus

| From Arabic form

rowspan="2" | Ukrainian

| Fedir (Федір), Fedor (Федор), Teodor (Теодор), Khvedir (Хведір), Fedio (Федьо)

|

Bohdan (Богдан), Bohodar (Богодар)

| Translation of Greek original

Welsh

| Tewdwr

|

Diminutives

Hypocorisms, calling names, or nicknames derived from Theodore can be:

class="wikitable"
Language

! Form

Nickname(s)

! Notes

rowspan="3" |Bulgarian

|Božidar

|Božo (Божо)

|

TeodorTeodor (Теодор): Teo (Тео), Teddy (Теди)

|

Todor

|Tosh(k)o (Тош(к)о)

|

Danish

|T(h)eodor||Teo and Theo

|

Dutch

|Theodoor, Theodorus|| Dorus, Theo

|

English

|Theodore||Ted, Teddy, Theo

|

Finnish

|Teodor, Teuvu||Teo

|

French

|Dieudonné, Théodore||Théo

|

German

|Theodor

|Theo

|

Georgian

|Teodor|| Tedo (თედო)

|

Greek

|ákis (άκης)

|Dhóros (Δώρος)

|

Italian

|Teodoro

|Teo

|

Norwegian

|T(h)eodor||Teo and Theo

|

Russian

|Feodor, Fodor, Fyodor|| Fedya (Федя)

|

Swedish

|T(h)eodor||Teo, Theo and Teddy

|

People named Theodore

=Ancient world=

:Ordered chronologically

=Modern world=

: Ordered by last name, where available; otherwise chronologically

Disambiguation

Fictional characters

See also

References