Theo - A unique male name
Theo at a glance
Theo is ranked #82 among boy baby names in 2025, with 3,938 births in 2025. It peaked in 2023 at #78 and first appeared on the charts in 1910.
- Rank in 2025
- #82
- Births in 2025
- 3,938
- Peak year
- 2023 (#78)
- First appeared
- 1910
- Trend
- #172 in 2020 → #82 in 2025 (Rising)
- Popularity
- 1 in 372 boys
- Visitor rating
- 4.7/5 (40 recent votes)
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration · Data through 2025 · Updated 2026
With that position 1 in 372 baby boys were given this name - making this a unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Theo peaked in popularity 3 years ago in 2023 on position 78.
Famous with this name
Theo James
Theo Rossi
Theo Trebs
How would you rate Theo, 1-5?
Theo is currently topping the charts in...
Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Theo is currently topping the baby name charts in Hawaii at position #27 - and is the least popular in Alabama at position #231.Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Theo is where you live.
Comment and discuss
Theo origin and meaning
Greek — short form of Theodore
Short for Theodore, "gift of God" — from theos, "god", and doron, "gift"
Theo began as the everyday short form of Theodore and Theodoros-type names across Europe. As a standalone American name it was minor for most of a century, then climbed steeply after 2015 as short, nickname-style boys' names took off.
Attested etymology
Theo is a 4 letter name with 2 syllables.
To see famous people named Theo, pop culture references for the name Theo and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.Similar to Theo
We've found the following names that sound similar to Theo, sorted by popularity.
Todd / Ted / Ty / Teddy / Tate / Tod / Tadeo / Thad / Tad / Tye /Name statistics
Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better
understanding of how popular or unique this name is.
With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually
differ a lot from state to state.
Chart position per year (visualized)
Chart position per state (visualized)
Chart position per year (table view)
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 82 |
| 2024 | 81 |
| 2023 | 78 |
| 2022 | 97 |
| 2021 | 142 |
| 2020 | 172 |
| 2019 | 194 |
| 2018 | 243 |
| 2017 | 290 |
| 2016 | 357 |
| 2015 | 414 |
| 2014 | 513 |
| 2013 | 661 |
| 2012 | 792 |
| 2011 | 888 |
| 2010 | 896 |
| 2009 | 1017 |
| 2008 | 1042 |
| 2007 | 1006 |
| 2006 | 1140 |
| 2005 | 1246 |
| 2004 | 1232 |
| 2003 | 1313 |
| 2002 | 1434 |
| 2001 | 1520 |
| 2000 | 1349 |
| 1999 | 1863 |
| 1998 | 1732 |
| 1997 | 1604 |
| 1996 | 1895 |
| 1995 | 1681 |
| 1994 | 1950 |
| 1993 | 1926 |
| 1992 | 1687 |
| 1991 | 2026 |
| 1990 | 1564 |
| 1989 | 1306 |
| 1988 | 1081 |
| 1987 | 1356 |
| 1986 | 1053 |
| 1985 | 1337 |
| 1978 | 2301 |
| 1977 | 1400 |
| 1976 | 1245 |
| 1975 | 1317 |
| 1974 | 2085 |
| 1969 | 1281 |
| 1967 | 1523 |
| 1965 | 1170 |
| 1962 | 1554 |
| 1960 | 1766 |
| 1959 | 1764 |
| 1957 | 1758 |
| 1956 | 1293 |
| 1955 | 1541 |
| 1953 | 1548 |
| 1952 | 1092 |
| 1951 | 1343 |
| 1950 | 1187 |
| 1949 | 1527 |
| 1948 | 1529 |
| 1947 | 1764 |
| 1946 | 1057 |
| 1945 | 1576 |
| 1944 | 1144 |
| 1943 | 881 |
| 1942 | 1208 |
| 1941 | 1315 |
| 1940 | 1640 |
| 1939 | 1064 |
| 1938 | 784 |
| 1937 | 1099 |
| 1936 | 687 |
| 1935 | 727 |
| 1934 | 818 |
| 1933 | 797 |
| 1932 | 670 |
| 1931 | 586 |
| 1930 | 655 |
| 1929 | 840 |
| 1928 | 660 |
| 1927 | 631 |
| 1926 | 569 |
| 1925 | 613 |
| 1924 | 729 |
| 1923 | 651 |
| 1922 | 629 |
| 1921 | 631 |
| 1920 | 679 |
| 1919 | 632 |
| 1918 | 634 |
| 1917 | 630 |
| 1916 | 560 |
| 1915 | 615 |
| 1914 | 521 |
| 1913 | 557 |
| 1912 | 617 |
| 1911 | 735 |
| 1910 | 413 |
Chart position per state (table view)
| State | Rank |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | 27 |
| Massachusetts | 41 |
| Utah | 49 |
| Connecticut | 53 |
| District of Columbia | 59 |
| Iowa | 59 |
| New York | 64 |
| Wisconsin | 65 |
| New Jersey | 66 |
| Indiana | 70 |
| Washington | 72 |
| Illinois | 72 |
| Pennsylvania | 74 |
| Oregon | 74 |
| California | 77 |
| Florida | 77 |
| Idaho | 79 |
| Oklahoma | 79 |
| Michigan | 82 |
| South Dakota | 83 |
| Colorado | 84 |
| North Dakota | 84 |
| Maryland | 85 |
| Ohio | 88 |
| Maine | 89 |
| Missouri | 90 |
| Delaware | 91 |
| North Carolina | 92 |
| Nevada | 97 |
| New Hampshire | 98 |
| Alaska | 108 |
| Minnesota | 108 |
| Kentucky | 109 |
| Rhode Island | 111 |
| Virginia | 113 |
| Arizona | 117 |
| Tennessee | 119 |
| Texas | 124 |
| South Carolina | 127 |
| Georgia | 128 |
| Louisiana | 129 |
| Kansas | 130 |
| West Virginia | 139 |
| Montana | 145 |
| New Mexico | 147 |
| Nebraska | 147 |
| Arkansas | 158 |
| Mississippi | 212 |
| Alabama | 231 |
Even more about Theo
These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.
Is Theo a common or unique name?
By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a unique male name.What is the number of syllables for the name Theo?
2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.Pronunciation
THEE-oh · /ˈθiːoʊ/
Around the world
- Théo (French) — The French form, a full name in its own right there.
- Theo (German) — Used as-is as a standalone German name.
Famous bearers
- Theo Walcott — English footballer known for his years at Arsenal (b. 1989) Contemporary
- Theo James — Actor known for the Divergent films and The White Lotus — born Theodore Peter James Kyprianos Taptiklis, and known professionally by the short form Theo (b. 1984) Contemporary
Style
Short formClassicInternational
Why parents choose it
Parents choose Theo to get Theodore's history without its formality — bright, short and friendly, and still rising quickly.
Worth knowing
- Many people will assume it is short for Theodore and ask; decide whether that bothers you before choosing the short form alone.
