Theodora
Theodora was the 726th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 384 babies. Its best year was 1908, when it ranked 506th; the most babies were born in 2022 (426). Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,589 places. More babies were named Theodora in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning gift of God (Greek) · Greek
Say it thee-uh-DOR-uh /ˌθiəˈdɔrə/
- Rank in 2025
- #726 girls, up 110 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 384girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2022426 babies
- Total since 1880
- 12,703babies recorded
What does the name Theodora mean?
Theodora is the feminine of Theodore, from Greek theos, God, and dōron, gift: "gift of God," as DMNES explains. Wiktionary notes that it was most famously borne by two Byzantine empresses. DMNES compares Dorothy, which uses the same two Greek words in the opposite order. Theodora has been used in the US since 1880, and Theo and Thea are its usual short forms.
θεός (Ancient Greek, “god”)δῶρον (Ancient Greek, “gift”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Theodore, Dorothy, Thea, Teddie, Fedora, Dora.
See also: Greek names, names that mean God, names that mean gift.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Theodora', DMNES (Durham University)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Theodore', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Theodora' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Nicknames for Theodora
The usual nicknames for Theodora are Thea, Teddie, Dora and Theo. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Theodora in the last five years, 254 were named Thea, against 306 twenty years earlier. Teddie and Theo are also gaining on the full name.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thea · also for Athena, Dorothea | Modern | #353 | 4,837 |
| Teddie | Modern | #3,826 | 120 |
| Dora · also for Dorothy, Dorothea | Traditional | #2,388 | 364 |
| Theo · also for Theodore | Modern | #5,894 | 208 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Theodoras go by each one.
Theodora popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 49 since 1915.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #726 | 384 |
| 2020 | #836 | 328 |
| 2010 | #3,467 | 47 |
| 2000 | #3,163 | 44 |
| 1990 | #2,955 | 39 |
| 1980 | #2,387 | 41 |
| 1970 | #2,039 | 41 |
| 1960 | #1,197 | 83 |
| 1950 | #873 | 104 |
| 1940 | #628 | 126 |
| 1930 | #649 | 114 |
| 1920 | #538 | 175 |
| 1910 | #678 | 40 |
| 1900 | #759 | 24 |
| 1890 | #521 | 26 |
| 1880 | #542 | 11 |
How popular is Theodora, counting every spelling?
Theodora has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #731 for girls in 2025, against #726 on the official list, because Kaylin/Kaylynn/Kailyn and Jayleen/Jaylene/Jaelynn and Carly/Karlee/Carlee move ahead once their spellings are combined.
How many kids will share the name Theodora?
384 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Theodora (0.11 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Theodora born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 22 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Theodora.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Theodora?
About 7,600 people born in the US named Theodora are alive today, with a median age of 26; half are between 5 and 66. That makes Theodora mostly worn by children and young adults. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
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.
Theodora by state
How common Theodora was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Nebraska (2.8×), Illinois (1.9×), Maryland (1.9×), Massachusetts (1.8×), Washington (1.8×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Alabama, Louisiana, Kansas.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Theodora: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Theodora, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Theodora · Sibling names for Theodora
Questions about the name Theodora
What does Theodora mean?
Theodora means “gift of God (Greek)” (Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Theodora?
Theodora was the 726th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 384 babies. Its best year was 1908, when it ranked 506th; the most babies were born in 2022 (426). Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,589 places. More babies were named Theodora in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Theodora a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Theodora in the US.
Where is Theodora most popular?
In 2021–2025, Theodora was most common in Nebraska (0.67 per 1,000 girls), followed by Rhode Island and Illinois.