Theo Unisex
Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: THEE-oh //ˈθiː.oʊ//
Origin: Greek; French; German
Meaning: Greek: 'gift of God'; French: 'theo' as a prefix meaning 'God'
Historical & Cultural Background
The name Theo is derived from the Greek name Theodoros, which means "gift of God." The etymology can be traced back to the components "theos," meaning "God," and "doron," meaning "gift." This name was adopted into Latin as Theodorus and later made its way into Old French as Teodor, before finally being anglicized to Theo in English. The transition reflects a common linguistic pattern where names evolve through various languages, adapting to phonetic and orthographic norms of each culture.
Historically, the name Theo and its variants have been borne by numerous notable figures. One significant milestone is the use of Theodoros in early Christian texts, where it was associated with saints and martyrs, particularly Saint Theodore of Amasea, who was venerated in the Christian tradition.
The name also appears in various forms in the Bible and early Christian writings, contributing to its spread throughout Europe during the Middle Ages. The name gained further prominence through the influence of Byzantine and Holy Roman emperors, many of whom were named Theodoros or its variants.
Culturally, the name Theo has been associated with themes of divine favor and benevolence, resonating with the idea of being a blessing or a cherished gift. This symbolic significance has contributed to its endurance across centuries and cultures.
Additionally, diminutive forms such as Ted or Teddy have emerged, often used affectionately, though they are not the primary focus of the name's historical significance. Overall, Theo encapsulates a rich heritage that reflects both linguistic evolution and deep-rooted cultural values.
Famous people named Theo
In this section, you will find notable people named Theo. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Theo who have made a significant impact on popular culture.
We also feature individuals named Theo who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.
Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.
Theo James is an actor best known for Divergent, The Inbetweeners, and Sanditon.
Theo Walcott is a professional footballer best known for playing with Arsenal, Everton, and the England national team.
Theo Rossi is an actor best known for Sons of Anarchy, Luke Cage, and The Last Ship.
Theo Huxtable is a fictional character best known as the son in The Cosby Show.
Theo van Gogh was a filmmaker best known for films like Submission and 06/05.
Fictional characters named Theo
The following list of fictional characters named Theo is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.
You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.
Theo is a fictional character from the novel The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. He is the protagonist who navigates a tumultuous life after surviving a tragic event in a museum.
Sibling suggestions
If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Theo, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.
Similar names
Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Theo. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.
U.S. Historical Usage
The name Theo was first seen in the United States in 1880.
Theo has ranked as high as #125 nationally, which occurred in 2023, and has been most popular in California, New York, Texas, Florida, and Illinois.
In the past 5 years the name Theo has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.
Popularity Over Time (National)
The name Theo is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Theo was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.
Top States for Theo (2024)
We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. In some cases, you may see four or five states listed. However, we only display states where the name represents a significant percentage of births, so the number of states shown can range from one to several.
| State | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|
| CA | 481 | |
| TX | 313 | |
| NY | 304 | |
| FL | 266 | |
| PA | 159 | |
| MA | 154 | |
| IL | 152 | |
| OH | 133 | |
| NC | 120 | |
| MI | 115 | |
| IN | 102 | |
| VA | 101 | |
| UT | 98 | |
| GA | 97 | |
| WI | 93 |
Popularity Over Time (National) — Table
We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Theo.
| Year | Births |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 4,110 |
| 2023 | 4,137 |
| 2022 | 3,639 |
| 2021 | 2,703 |
| 2020 | 2,225 |
| 2019 | 2,018 |
| 2018 | 1,554 |
| 2017 | 1,232 |
| 2016 | 952 |
| 2015 | 765 |
| 2014 | 550 |
| 2013 | 364 |
| 2012 | 287 |
| 2011 | 245 |
| 2010 | 221 |
| 2009 | 187 |
| 2008 | 188 |
| 2007 | 191 |
| 2006 | 156 |
| 2005 | 139 |
| 2004 | 133 |
| 2003 | 109 |
| 2002 | 98 |
| 2001 | 84 |
| 2000 | 101 |
| 1999 | 76 |
| 1998 | 63 |
| 1997 | 62 |
| 1996 | 53 |
| 1995 | 56 |
| 1994 | 54 |
| 1993 | 50 |
| 1992 | 59 |
| 1991 | 61 |
| 1990 | 66 |
| 1989 | 77 |
| 1988 | 77 |
| 1987 | 75 |
| 1986 | 85 |
| 1985 | 76 |
| 1984 | 23 |
| 1983 | 27 |
| 1982 | 33 |
| 1981 | 31 |
| 1980 | 36 |
| 1979 | 38 |
| 1978 | 46 |
| 1977 | 51 |
| 1976 | 58 |
| 1975 | 57 |
| 1974 | 32 |
| 1973 | 27 |
| 1972 | 26 |
| 1971 | 23 |
| 1970 | 28 |
| 1969 | 29 |
| 1968 | 24 |
| 1967 | 29 |
| 1966 | 23 |
| 1965 | 43 |
| 1964 | 39 |
| 1963 | 32 |
| 1962 | 26 |
| 1961 | 35 |
| 1960 | 42 |
| 1959 | 36 |
| 1958 | 35 |
| 1957 | 37 |
| 1956 | 39 |
| 1955 | 33 |
| 1954 | 30 |
| 1953 | 33 |
| 1952 | 41 |
| 1951 | 46 |
| 1950 | 41 |
| 1949 | 36 |
| 1948 | 47 |
| 1947 | 39 |
| 1946 | 43 |
| 1945 | 48 |
| 1944 | 44 |
| 1943 | 61 |
| 1942 | 45 |
| 1941 | 39 |
| 1940 | 38 |
| 1939 | 64 |
| 1938 | 64 |
| 1937 | 40 |
| 1936 | 73 |
| 1935 | 71 |
| 1934 | 55 |
| 1933 | 62 |
| 1932 | 76 |
| 1931 | 85 |
| 1930 | 90 |
| 1929 | 75 |
| 1928 | 92 |
| 1927 | 109 |
| 1926 | 104 |
| 1925 | 98 |
| 1924 | 97 |
| 1923 | 92 |
| 1922 | 109 |
| 1921 | 107 |
| 1920 | 97 |
| 1919 | 92 |
| 1918 | 87 |
| 1917 | 89 |
| 1916 | 96 |
| 1915 | 91 |
| 1914 | 81 |
| 1913 | 62 |
| 1912 | 50 |
| 1911 | 31 |
| 1910 | 35 |
| 1909 | 22 |
| 1908 | 34 |
| 1907 | 29 |
| 1906 | 17 |
| 1905 | 23 |
| 1904 | 27 |
| 1903 | 18 |
| 1902 | 24 |
| 1901 | 18 |
| 1900 | 14 |
| 1899 | 10 |
| 1898 | 16 |
| 1897 | 11 |
| 1896 | 12 |
| 1895 | 14 |
| 1894 | 12 |
| 1893 | 11 |
| 1892 | 9 |
| 1891 | 11 |
| 1890 | 12 |
| 1889 | 8 |
| 1888 | 9 |
| 1887 | 10 |
| 1886 | 8 |
| 1885 | 8 |
| 1884 | 7 |
| 1883 | 14 |
| 1882 | 12 |
| 1881 | 8 |
| 1880 | 9 |