Given name & surname
Theodor
“God”·“gift”·“gift of God”
In English use, Theodor has a related form in Theodore. Theodore combines “God” and “gift,” giving the meaning “gift of God.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Theodor has a related form in Theodore. Theodore combines “God” and “gift,” giving the meaning “gift of God.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In English use, Theodor has a related form in Theodore. Theodore reached English through French from the Greek name Theodoros.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In German use, Theodor is used as a form of Theodore. In English use, Theodor has a related form in Theodore. The shared background comes through Theodore: Theodore’s Greek elements are theos, meaning “god,” and doron, meaning “gift.” French forms provided the route into English.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1884. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In English use, Theodor has a related form in Theodore. The history of Theodore gives this family its wider story. Theodore was popular among early Christians and was borne by several saints. That religious history helps explain the name’s spread into different European forms.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Theodor through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,216
- 2,216 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2022
- 88 babies
- 2025
- 76
- #2,004 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +13%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 76 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,004 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 13.3% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (8). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,653 as a first name in 2020; 137 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Theodor’s family of names
In Swedish usage, Theodor has a diminutive in Theo. Theodor shares a linguistic root with Theodore. In German usage, Theodor has a conventional equivalent in the Spanish form Teodoro.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Theodor has relatives in 14 languages.
12 related names in 14 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 4
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 19
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Theodor
- Theodor W. AdornoGerman philosopher, sociologist and theorist (1903–1969)
- Theodor Herzlfather of modern political Zionism (1860–1904)
- Dr. SeussAmerican children's author and cartoonist (1904–1991)
- Theodor HeussGerman journalist and politician (1884-1963)
- Theodor W. HänschGerman physicist and nobel laureate (born 1941)
- Theodor SvedbergSwedish chemist (1884-1971)
- Theodor SchwannGerman physiologist (1810–1882)
- Theodor EickeGerman SS general, commander of concentration camp Dachau and inspector of the concentration camps (1892–1943)
- Theodor Gebre SelassieCzech footballer (born 1986)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Theodor, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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“having heart”
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