Theodore
BoyGreek · British English: /ˈθiː.ə.ˌdɔː/; American English: /ˈθi.ə.ˌdɔɹ/.
Theodore means “gift of God” and has Greek roots. Its full form and familiar English short forms Theo, Ted and Teddy offer different tones.
Origin
Greek
Pronunciation
British English: /ˈθiː.ə.ˌdɔː/; American English: /ˈθi.ə.ˌdɔɹ/.
Gift of God.
Theodore is an English masculine name with the Greek meaning “gift of God”. Behind it is Theodoros, built from theos, “god”, and doron, “gift”, and passed on through Latin Theodorus. The full name has a measured, rounded sound that can feel classic and warmly formal. Its English short forms give it several everyday possibilities. Theo preserves the opening, Ted is brisk and compact, and Teddy has a more affectionate feel. Trying the full name and the short form you actually like can clarify whether Theodore suits your taste. In English the initial th is as in “think”; the final written e is silent. American pronunciations usually sound the final r, while the British pronunciation shown here does not.
Etymology: Theodore comes through Latin Theodorus from Greek Theodoros, combining theos, “god”, and doron, “gift”.
Spelling table
Code
- .... . --- -.. --- .-. .
Listen to the dots and dashes, or choose Slow to follow each letter.
Braille
⠠⠞⠓⠑⠕⠙⠕⠗⠑
Name popularity
Latest year: 2025
Boys
Rank4
Girls
Rank13,074
Source
SSA records cover Social Security card applications, not every US birth. Names with fewer than 5 occurrences are omitted; gaps do not mean zero. Spellings are kept separate, except that SSA removes spaces and hyphens. Equal counts are ranked alphabetically. Ranks are calculated separately for boys and girls.
Origin
Greek