Theodore (given name)


Theodore is a masculine given name. It comes from the [Ancient Greek language|Greek personal names|Ancient Greek name] Θεόδωρος, meaning "gift of God" "God" and δῶρον. 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-given", or "gift of God", as do the given names Jonathan, Nathaniel, Matthew, Hibatullah, Devadatta, Dosetai, Bogdan, Божидар, Diosdado, Dieudonné, and Adeodatus.
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. Theodore was among the five most popular names for White newborn boys in the American state of Virginia in 2022. It has been among the ten most popular names for newborn boys nationally in the United States since 2021. It has been a similarly popular name for boys in Canada.
The feminine form of Theodore is Theodora. The names Dorothy and Godiva also mean "gift of God". In German, Theodore is the feminine form of Theodor.
Although similar to, and probably influenced by, the Germanic name Theodoric has a separate origin. It's also similar to Doris, another Greek origin given name.

Diminutives

Hypocorisms, calling names, or nicknames derived from Theodore can be:
LanguageFormNicknameNotes
BulgarianBožidarBožo
BulgarianTeodorTeodor : Teo, Teddy
BulgarianTodorTosho
DanishTeodorTeo and Theo
DutchTheodoor, TheodorusDorus, Theo
EnglishTheodoreTed, Teddy, Theo
FinnishTeodor, TeuvuTeo
FrenchDieudonné, ThéodoreThéo
GermanTheodorTheo
GeorgianTeodorTedo
Greekákis Dhóros
ItalianTeodoroTeo
NorwegianTeodorTeo and Theo
RussianFeodor, Fodor, FyodorFedya
UkrainianBogdanBodya
SwedishTeodorTeo, Theo and Teddy

People named Theodore

Ancient world

Modern world

Disambiguation

Fictional characters