Theodore (given name)

Theodore
	Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of United States
Pronunciation	English: /ˈθiːədɔːr/
Gender	Male
Name day	9 November ; Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Slovakia and Sweden ; ; Alternative dates; 7 March: Bulgaria ; 12 May: Greece ; 23 October: Czech Republic
Origin
Word/name	Greek
Meaning	"gift of the God(s)"
Other names
Nickname(s)	Ted, Teddy, Theo
Related names	Teodoro, Theodora, Theodorus, Dorothy

Theodore is a masculine given name. It comes from the Ancient Greek name Θεόδωρος (Theódoros), meaning "gift of God(s)" (from the Ancient Greek words θεός, (theós) "God/Gods" and δῶρον (dṓron) "gift".^[1] 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(s)-given", or "gift of God/Gods", as do the given names Jonathan, Nathaniel, Matthew, hibatullah, Devadatta, Dosetai, Bogdan, and Adeodatus.^{[citation needed]}

The name has risen in popularity across the Anglosphere in recent years. Theodore was among the five most popular names for White newborn boys in the American state of Virginia in 2022. ^[2] It was among the ten most popular names for newborn boys nationally in the United States in 2021.^[3] It was the fifth most popular name for boys in Canada in 2022.^[4] The feminine form of Theodore is Theodora. The names Dorothy and Godiva also mean "gift of God(s)". In German, Theodore is the feminine form and the masculine form is Theodor.

Although similar to, and probably influenced by it, the Germanic name Theodoric (and variants Theodoricus, Dietrich, Thierry, and others) has a separate origin. It's also similar to Doris, another Greek origin given name.

Variants

Language	Variant(s)	Notes
Albanian	Teodor, Theodhor, Dhori
Amharic	Tewodros (ቴዎድሮስ)
Arabic	Tawadros (تواضروس)
Arabic	hibatullah	Similar in translation to the Greek name
Aramaic	Yahballaha (ܝܗܒܐܠܗܐ‎)
Armenian	Thoros (Թորոս)
Armenian	Astvacatur (Աստուածատուր), Asatur (Ասատուր)	Translation of Greek original
Belarusian	Fiodar (Фёдар), Todar (Тодар), Teador (Тэадор)
Belarusian	Bahdan (Багдан)	Translation of Greek original
Bulgarian	Todor (Тодор), Teodor (Теодор)
Bulgarian	Božidar (Божидар), Bogdan (Богдан)	Translation of Greek original
Catalan	Teodor
Czech	Teodor, Theodor
Czech	Bohdan	Translation of Greek original
Danish	Teodor, Theodor
Dutch	Theodoor, Theodorus
English	Theodore
Esperanto	Teodoro
Estonian	Theodor, Teodor, Tuudor, Tuudur
Ethiopian and Eritrean	Tedros (ቴድሮስ), Tewodros (ቴዎድሮስ)
Finnish	Teuvo, Teodor
French	Théodore
French	Dieudonné	Translation of Greek original
Georgian	Teodor (თევდორე)
German	Theodor
Greek	Theódoros (Θεόδωρος), Thódoros (Θόδωρος), Thodorís (Θοδωρής), Theodorákis (Θεοδωράκης), Theodósios (Θεοδόσιος, Theodosius), Thódos (Θώδος), Thódis (Θώδης), Dóros (Δώρος), Dóris (Δώρης), Theodhori (Θεοδορι)
Hebrew	Teodor (תאודור), Tiodor (תיאודור)
Hungarian	Tivadar, Tódor
Indonesian	Theodore
Irish	Téodóir
Italian	Teodoro, Donato, Donatello
Latin	Theodorus
Latvian	Teodors
Lithuanian	Teodoras
Macedonia	Теодор, Тео
Norwegian	Teodor, Theodor
Polish	Teodor, Bożydar, Bogdan
Portuguese	Teodoro, Deodoro
Romanian	Tudor (also a surname)
	Teodor
	Bogdan	From Slavic languages
Russian	Fyodor (Фёдор), Fedor (Федор), Feodor (Феодор)
Russian	Bogdan (Богдан).	Translation of Greek original
Scottish Gaelic	Feadair
Serbo-Croatian	Teodor (Теодор), Todor (Тодор)
Serbo-Croatian	Božidar (Божидар), Bogdan (Богдан)	Translation of Greek original
Sicilian	Teodoru
Slovene	Teodor
Spanish	Teodoro
Spanish	Diosdado
Swedish	Teodor, Theodor
Turkish	Tevazirus	From Arabic form
Ukrainian	Fedir (Федір), Fedor (Федор), Teodor (Теодор), Khvedir (Хведір), Fedio (Федьо)
Ukrainian	Bohdan (Богдан), Bohodar (Богодар)	Translation of Greek original
Welsh	Tewdwr

Diminutives

Hypocorisms, calling names, or nicknames derived from Theodore can be:

Language	Form	Nickname(s)
Bulgarian	Božidar	Božo (Божо)
	Teodor	Teodor (Теодор): Teo (Тео), Teddy (Теди)
	Todor	Tosh(k)o (Тош(к)о)
Danish	T(h)eodor	Teo and Theo
Dutch	Theodoor, Theodorus	Dorus, Theo
English	Theodore	Ted, Teddy, Theo
Finnish	Teodor, Teuvu	Teo
French	Dieudonné, Théodore	Théo
German	Theodor	Theo
Georgian	Teodor	Tedo (თედო)
Greek	ákis (άκης)	Dhóros (Δώρος)
Italian	Teodoro	Teo
Norwegian	T(h)eodor	Teo and Theo
Russian	Feodor, Fodor, Fyodor	Fedya (Федя)
Swedish	T(h)eodor	Teo, Theo and Teddy

People named Theodore

Ancient world

Ordered chronologically

Theodore Tiron (died 306), Byzantine martyr and Warrior Saint
Theodore Stratelates (died 319), Byzantine martyr and Warrior Saint
Theodore of Mopsuestia (c. 350 – 428), Byzantine bishop
Theodore of Enaton, 5th-century Syrian Christian monk
Theodore of Pherme, 4th-century Egyptian Christian monk
Theodore of Tarsus (602–690), Archbishop of Canterbury
Theodore (brother of Heraclius) (fl. c. 610–636), Byzantine general
Theodore (prefect of Egypt) (fl. c. 640), Byzantine general
Theodore Trithyrius (died 636), Byzantine treasurer and military commander
Pope Theodore I, Pope from 642 to 649
Theodore I Calliopas, Exarch of Ravenna (643 – c. 645 and 653 – before 666)
Theodore Abu Qurrah (c. 750 – c. 823), Christian Arab theologian
Theodore the Studite (759–826), Byzantine Greek monk and abbot
Pope Theodore II (840–897), Pope in 897
Theodore Prodromos (c. 1100 – c. 1165), Byzantine writer and poet
Theodore I Laskaris (c. 1174 – c. 1222), first Emperor of Nicaea
Theodore Komnenos Doukas (died c. 1253), Emperor of Thessalonica
Theodore II Laskaris (c. 1222 – 1258), Emperor of Nicaea
Theodore Metochites (1270–1332), Byzantine statesman, author and philosopher
Theodore Svetoslav of Bulgaria, Tsar of Bulgaria from 1300 to 1322
Theodore I Palaiologos (c. 1355 – 1407), Byzantine despot
Theodore II Palaiologos (c. 1396 – 1448), Byzantine despot

Modern world

Ordered by last name, where available; otherwise chronologically

Theodore I of Corsica (1694–1756), German adventurer who was briefly King of Corsica
Pope Theodoros II of Alexandria (born 1952), leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria
Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria (born 1954), Eastern Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria and all Africa
Theodore Agnew (born 1961), British businessman, Baron Agnew of Oulton, life peer, and Minister of State
Theodore Annemann (1907–1942), American professional magician
Theodore Bent (1852-1897), British archaeologist and explorer in the Levant, Africa, and Southern Arabia
Theodore Beza (1519–1605), French Protestant theologian and scholar
Theodore Bibliander (1509–1564), Swiss Orientalist, publisher and linguist
Theodore Bikel (1924–2015), Austrian-American actor, folksinger, composer and unionist
Teddy Bridgewater (born 1992), American football player
Theodore Bruback (1851–1904), American businessman
Theodore Bundy (1946-1989), prolific American serial killer, rapist, kidnapper, and necrophile
Theodore Cantor (1809–1860), Danish physician, zoologist and botanist
Theodore Colbert III (born 1973), American businessman and engineer
Theodore Conrad (1910–1994), American architect, preservationist and a leading architectural model maker
Theodore John Conrad (1949–2021), American fugitive
Theodore Debs (1864-1945), American politician
Theodore Dreiser (1871–1945), American novelist
Theodore Freeman (1930–1964), American aeronautical engineer, test pilot and NASA astronaut
Theodore Frelinghuysen (1787–1862), American politician
Theodore Fyfe (1875–1945), Scottish architect
Théodore Géricault (1791-1824), French Romantic painter
Theodore Gill (1837–1914), American zoologist and librarian
Theodore Hall (1925–1999), American physicist and atomic spy for the Soviet Union
Theodore Kaczynski (1942-2023), American letter bomber
Theodore von Kármán (1881–1963), Hungarian-American mathematician, aerospace engineer and physicist
Theodore Katsanevas (1947–2021), Greek academic and politician
Theodoros Kolokotronis (1770-1843), Greek General and pre-eminent leader of the Greek War of Independence (1821-1829) against the Ottoman Empire.
Theodore Levitt (1925–2006), American economist
Theodore Long (born 1947), American professional wrestling personality
Theodore Lyman (1874–1954), American physicist and spectroscopist
Theodore Maiman (1927–2007), American engineer and physicist, inventor of the laser
Theodore Edgar McCarrick (born 1930), American Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church
Ted Nugent (born 1948), American rock musician and gun advocate
Theodore Odrach (1912–1964), Ukrainian (Belarussian) writer
Theodore Odza (1915–1998), American visual artist
Theodore Braybrooke Panabokke (1909-1989), Sri Lankan Sinhala politician, lawyer, and diplomat
Theodore Parker (1810–1860), American Transcendentalist and reforming minister of the Unitarian church
Theodore Duncan Perera, Sri Lankan Sinhala civil servant
Theodore William Richards (1868–1928), American physical chemist
Theodore Roberts (1861–1928), American film and stage actor
Theodore Robinson (1852–1896), American Impressionist painter
Theodore Roethke (1908–1963), American poet
Theodore Romzha (1911–1947), Ukrainian Ruthenian Catholic bishop
Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919), 26th President of the United States
Theodore Roosevelt Sr. (1831-1878), American businessman and philanthropist
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (1887–1944), American government, business and military leader
Theodore Roosevelt III (1914-2001), American banker
Theodore Roosevelt IV or Theodore Roosevelt V (born 1945), American investment banker
Theodore Roszak (scholar) (1933–2011), American historian, sociologist and novelist
Ted Sampley (1946–2009), American POW/MIA activist
Theodore Schultz (1902–1998), American economist
Theodore Shapiro (born 1971), American film composer
Theodore Sorensen (1928–2010), American lawyer, writer, and presidential adviser
Theodore Sougiannis, American economist
Ted Stevens, American former Senator from Alaska
Theodore K. Stubbs (1847–1911), American politician from Pennsylvania
Theodore Sturgeon (1918–1985), American science fiction author
Theodore Tannenwald Jr. (1916–1999), judge of the United States Tax Court
Theodore Thomas (conductor) (1835–1905), American violinist and conductor
Theodore Van Kirk (1921–2014), American navigator of the Enola Gay
Ted Williams (1918–2002), American baseball player
Teddy Wilson (1912–1986), American jazz pianist
Theodore H. Winters Jr. (1913–2008), American flying ace during World War II
Guy Theodore Sebastian, Malaysian-Australian singer
Theodore Taylor (1921-2006), American writer
Tewodros II Ge'ez (ዳግማዊ ቴዎድሮስ) (1818–1868), Emperor of Ethiopia from 1855 until his death in 1868

Fictional characters

Theodore Seville, character from Alvin and the Chipmunks
Theodore "The Roach" Roachmont, character from Supernoobs
Theodore "Ted" Spankoffski, a reoccurring character played by Joey Richter in the Hatchetfield trilogy by Team StarKid.

References

^ MFnames.com – Origin and Meaning of Theodore
^ "Virginia Department of Health's Office of Vital Records Announces Top Fifteen Baby Names of 2022, Other Interesting Virginia Birth Data". 23 January 2023.
^ "Top Baby Names of 2021".
^ "Table 17-10-0147-01 First names at birth by sex at birth, selected indicators (Number)". Statistics Canada. Retrieved 25 August 2024.

This page or section lists people that share the same given name.
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[1] MFnames.com – Origin and Meaning of Theodore

[2] "Virginia Department of Health's Office of Vital Records Announces Top Fifteen Baby Names of 2022, Other Interesting Virginia Birth Data". 23 January 2023.

[3] "Top Baby Names of 2021".

[4] "Table 17-10-0147-01 First names at birth by sex at birth, selected indicators (Number)". Statistics Canada. Retrieved 25 August 2024.

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