Theo
Theo was the 82nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 3,945 babies. Its best year was 2023, when it ranked 78th with 4,140 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 324 places. More babies were named Theo in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning short form of Theodore: gift of God · Greek
Say it THEE-oh /ˈθioʊ/
- Rank in 2025
- #82 boys, up 90 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 3,945boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20234,140 babies
- Total since 1880
- 39,333babies recorded
What does the name Theo mean?
Theo is a short form of Theodore and of the feminine Theodora, and Wiktionary notes it can also shorten rarer names such as Theobald and Theophilus. Its usual parent, Theodore, comes from Greek Theodoros, made of theos, 'god', and doron, 'gift', so it means 'gift of God'. DMNES lists many saints and Byzantine emperors named Theodore and records the name in England in 1222. Theo is now often given as a full name in its own right.
θεός (Ancient Greek, “god”)δῶρον (Ancient Greek, “gift”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Theodore, Theodora, Teo, Theodoros.
See also: Greek names, names that mean God, names that mean gift.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Theo', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Theodore', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
Theo popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 3,503 since 1880, 21 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #82 | 3,945 |
| 2020 | #172 | 2,225 |
| 2010 | #918 | 221 |
| 2000 | #1,289 | 101 |
| 1990 | #1,382 | 66 |
| 1980 | #1,651 | 36 |
| 1970 | #1,654 | 28 |
| 1960 | #1,226 | 42 |
| 1950 | #1,122 | 41 |
| 1940 | #1,063 | 38 |
| 1930 | #653 | 90 |
| 1920 | #645 | 97 |
| 1910 | #472 | 35 |
| 1900 | #696 | 14 |
| 1890 | #599 | 12 |
| 1880 | #680 | 9 |
How popular is Theo, counting every spelling?
Theo has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #91 for boys in 2025, against #82 on the official list, because Kayden/Kaiden/Caden and Nicholas/Nicolas and Elliot/Elliott/Eliot move ahead once their spellings are combined.
How many kids will share the name Theo?
3,945 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Theo (1.09 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Theo born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is about 1 in 49. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 2 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Theo.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Theo?
About 32,300 people born in the US named Theo are alive today, with a median age of 5; half are between 3 and 9. That makes Theo a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Theo by state
How common Theo was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Hawaii (2.7×), North Dakota (2.4×), Massachusetts (2.4×), Maine (2.4×), Rhode Island (2.3×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Mississippi, Alabama, Texas.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Theo: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Theo, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Theo · Sibling names for Theo
Theo is also a nickname for Theodore and Theodora.
Questions about the name Theo
What does Theo mean?
Theo means “short form of Theodore: gift of God” (Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Theo?
Theo was the 82nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 3,945 babies. Its best year was 2023, when it ranked 78th with 4,140 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 324 places. More babies were named Theo in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Theo a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Theo in the US.
Where is Theo most popular?
In 2021–2025, Theo was most common in Hawaii (5.79 per 1,000 boys), followed by North Dakota and Massachusetts.