Theo Boy

Popularity: #82 · Trend: ↗ Rising

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.

LeoMiloNicoArloJudeEzra

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.

TobiasTheodoreTalonTitusTobiah

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Theo was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Theo has ranked as high as #130 nationally, which occurred in 2023, and has been most popular in California, Texas, New York, 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.

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 Total Births Boy Girl
2025 3,966 3,945 21
2024 4,160 4,129 31
2023 4,182 4,140 42
2022 3,692 3,642 50
2021 2,767 2,703 64
2020 2,269 2,225 44
2019 2,049 2,018 31
2018 1,561 1,554 7
2017 1,239 1,232 7
2016 963 952 11
2015 765 765 0
2014 550 550 0
2013 365 365 0
2012 287 287 0
2011 245 245 0
2010 221 221 0
2009 187 187 0
2008 188 188 0
2007 191 191 0
2006 156 156 0
2005 139 139 0
2004 133 133 0
2003 109 109 0
2002 103 98 5
2001 84 84 0
2000 101 101 0
1999 76 76 0
1998 63 63 0
1997 62 62 0
1996 53 53 0
1995 56 56 0
1994 54 54 0
1993 50 50 0
1992 59 59 0
1991 66 61 5
1990 66 66 0
1989 77 77 0
1988 77 77 0
1987 75 75 0
1986 85 85 0
1985 76 76 0
1984 23 23 0
1983 27 27 0
1982 33 33 0
1981 31 31 0
1980 36 36 0
1979 44 38 6
1978 46 46 0
1977 51 51 0
1976 58 58 0
1975 63 57 6
1974 32 32 0
1973 27 27 0
1972 26 26 0
1971 23 23 0
1970 35 28 7
1969 34 29 5
1968 24 24 0
1967 29 29 0
1966 29 23 6
1965 43 43 0
1964 52 39 13
1963 40 32 8
1962 38 26 12
1961 52 36 16
1960 49 42 7
1959 44 36 8
1958 46 35 11
1957 57 37 20
1956 50 39 11
1955 56 33 23
1954 46 30 16
1953 51 33 18
1952 59 41 18
1951 64 46 18
1950 72 41 31
1949 58 36 22
1948 80 47 33
1947 74 39 35
1946 74 43 31
1945 101 48 53
1944 71 44 27
1943 94 61 33
1942 71 45 26
1941 73 39 34
1940 70 38 32
1939 91 64 27
1938 83 64 19
1937 73 40 33
1936 103 73 30
1935 110 71 39
1934 94 55 39
1933 101 62 39
1932 117 76 41
1931 128 85 43
1930 145 90 55
1929 146 75 71
1928 154 92 62
1927 167 109 58
1926 194 104 90
1925 200 98 102
1924 208 97 111
1923 167 92 75
1922 211 109 102
1921 203 107 96
1920 195 97 98
1919 201 92 109
1918 192 87 105
1917 180 89 91
1916 194 96 98
1915 189 91 98
1914 145 81 64
1913 112 62 50
1912 103 50 53
1911 67 31 36
1910 64 35 29
1909 66 22 44
1908 58 34 24
1907 60 29 31
1906 44 17 27
1905 57 23 34
1904 58 27 31
1903 47 18 29
1902 59 24 35
1901 37 18 19
1900 36 14 22
1899 26 10 16
1898 41 16 25
1897 39 11 28
1896 36 12 24
1895 39 14 25
1894 29 12 17
1893 30 11 19
1892 34 9 25
1891 32 11 21
1890 24 12 12
1889 26 8 18
1888 26 9 17
1887 29 10 19
1886 23 8 15
1885 19 8 11
1884 23 7 16
1883 21 14 7
1882 22 12 10
1881 16 8 8
1880 16 9 7

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. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 481
12%
TX 313
8%
NY 304
7%
FL 266
6%
PA 159
4%
MA 154
4%
IL 152
4%
OH 133
3%
NJ 132
3%
NC 120
3%
MI 115
3%
IN 102
2%
VA 101
2%
UT 98
2%
GA 97
2%
WI 93
2%
MN 93
2%
WA 90
2%
MO 83
2%
CO 81
2%
AZ 69
2%
CT 63
2%
TN 63
2%
OR 62
2%
IA 56
1%
OK 49
1%
SC 48
1%
MD 47
1%
LA 45
1%
KY 44
1%
KS 39
1%
NE 34
1%
NV 30
1%
AR 29
1%
ID 28
1%
AL 26
1%
NM 22
1%
SD 20
0%
ND 20
0%
DE 19
0%
WV 16
0%
HI 16
0%
DC 15
0%
NH 15
0%
ME 14
0%
MT 13
0%
RI 12
0%
WY 9
0%
MS 9
0%