Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2022

Theodor

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #2,004 Trend → Stable

A male given name from Latin [in turn from Ancient Greek], variant of Theodore.

Rank 2025
#2,004
among boys · ↑111 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
76
named Theodor · +7% vs 2024
How common
1 in 22,475
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2022
88 babies
All-time total
2,216
#3,085 all-time among boys
First recorded
1884
in Social Security records

Theodor popularity over time

2,216 babies have been named Theodor since 1884, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.020.040.060.0818801900192019401960198020002020Peak 2022Boys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s 10 1 – #1,055
1890s 6 1 -40% #1,057
1900s – – – –
1910s 110 11 – #1,524
1920s 139 14 +26% #1,864
1930s 120 12 -14% #1,645
1940s 113 11 -6% #1,751
1950s 139 14 +23% #1,759
1960s 124 12 -11% #2,027
1970s 79 8 -36% #2,876
1980s 98 10 +24% #3,491
1990s 127 13 +30% #3,832
2000s 189 19 +49% #3,660
2010s 492 49 +160% #1,814
2020s (to 2025) 470 78 +59% #1,836

Where Theodor is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 77 0.05 outside top 500
2027 78 0.05 outside top 500
2028 79 0.05 outside top 500
2029 79 0.05 outside top 500
2030 80 0.05 outside top 500

Where Theodor is most popular

Boys named Theodor per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.045 per 1,000. Strongest in New York, Washington, and Minnesota.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Theodor born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
New York 28 0.065 +43%
Washington 10 0.061 +35%
Minnesota 7 0.057 +26%
Pennsylvania 11 0.041 -8%
California 36 0.039 -13%
Illinois 10 0.039 -14%
Colorado 5 0.039 -14%
Massachusetts 5 0.036 -20%
Texas 31 0.035 -22%
Florida 10 0.021 -53%
Georgia 5 0.020 -56%
Ohio 5 0.019 -58%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Arizona – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Indiana – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Louisiana – – –
Maryland – – –
Maine – – –
Michigan – – –
Missouri – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Carolina – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Jersey – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Tennessee – – –
Utah – – –
Virginia – – –
Vermont – – –
Wisconsin – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Theodor

Theodor is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,004 in 2025 with 76 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1884, 2,216 American babies have been named Theodor. Its peak came in 2022, when 88 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Theodor stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Theodor?

The median living Theodor is about 12 years old; half are between 5 and 37. An estimated 1,700 people named Theodor are alive in the United States today.

median 12 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Theodor year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 76 #2,004
2024 71 #2,115
2023 86 #1,864
2022 88 #1,836
2021 70 #2,094
2020 79 #1,892
2019 85 #1,814
2018 65 #2,164
2017 54 #2,414
2016 62 #2,203
2015 54 #2,408
2014 56 #2,342
2013 45 #2,664
2012 20 #4,843
2011 25 #4,095
2010 26 #3,982
2009 21 #4,728
2008 20 #4,878
2007 21 #4,623
2006 16 #5,498
2005 22 #4,178
2004 18 #4,775
2003 12 #6,213
2002 24 #3,660
2001 16 #4,868
2000 19 #4,188
1995 16 #4,031
1990 12 #4,643
1985 11 #4,025
1980 11 #3,821
1975 – –
1970 12 #2,876
1965 11 #2,601
1960 15 #2,199
1955 13 #2,297
1950 11 #2,427
1945 5 #3,732
1940 11 #2,308
1935 10 #2,514
1930 13 #2,282
1925 16 #2,078
1920 11 #2,745
1915 15 #1,959
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Theodor

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Theodor Herzl Theodor Herzl Father of modern political Zionism (1860–1904) 19th century
  2. 2 Theodor W. Adorno Theodor W. Adorno German philosopher, sociologist, and theorist (1903–1969) Contemporary
  3. 3 Theodor Morell Theodor Morell Personal physician to Adolf Hitler (1886–1948) 19th century
  4. 4 Theodor Eicke Theodor Eicke German SS officer (1892–1943) 19th century
  5. 5 Theodor Heuss Theodor Heuss President of West Germany from 1949 to 1959 1884–1963 · 19th century
  6. 6 Theodor Mommsen Theodor Mommsen German classical scholar and historian (1817–1903) 19th century
  7. 7 Theodor Schwann Theodor Schwann German physiologist (1810–1882) 19th century
  8. 8 Theodor Busse Theodor Busse German general of infantry in the Second World War 1897–1986 · 19th century
  9. 9 Theodor Kittelsen Theodor Kittelsen Norwegian artist (1857–1914) 19th century
  10. 10 Theodor Fontane Theodor Fontane German journalist, novelist and poet 1819–1898 · 19th century
  11. 11 Theodor de Bry Theodor de Bry Walloon engraver and publisher (1528–1598) 16th century
  12. 12 Theodor Innitzer Theodor Innitzer Austrian cardinal and politician 1875–1955 · 19th century
  13. 13 Theodor Lessing Theodor Lessing German philosopher 1872–1933 · 19th century
  14. 14 Theodor Storm Theodor Storm German writer and poet (1817–1888) 19th century
  15. 15 Theodor Leschetizky Theodor Leschetizky Austrian-Polish pianist, teacher, and composer (1830–1915) 19th century
  16. 16 Theodor Billroth Theodor Billroth German-Austrian surgeon (1829–1894) 19th century
  17. 17 Theodor Nöldeke Theodor Nöldeke German orientalist and scholar (1836–1930) 19th century
  18. 18 Theodor Kaluza Theodor Kaluza German mathematician and physicist 1885–1954 · 19th century
  19. 19 Theodor W. Hänsch Theodor W. Hänsch German physicist (born 1941) Contemporary
  20. 20 Theodor Svedberg Theodor Svedberg Swedish chemist (1884–1971) 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Theodor, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Theodor?

The median living Theodor is about 12 years old. Half of all living Theodors are between 5 and 37 years old.

How many people named Theodor are alive today?

An estimated 1,700 people named Theodor are alive in the United States, based on 2,216 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Theodor mean?

A male given name from Latin [in turn from Ancient Greek], variant of Theodore.

How popular is the name Theodor in 2025?

Theodor ranked #2,004 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 76 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Theodor?

2,216 babies have been named Theodor in the United States since 1884, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Theodor most popular?

Theodor peaked in 2022, when 88 newborns received the name.

Is Theodor a boy or girl name?

Theodor is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Theodor rising or falling?

Theodor is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Theodor become more popular?

Theodor looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 80 boys named Theodor in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Theodor?

Well-known people named Theodor include Theodor Herzl (writer), Theodor W. Adorno (sociologist), Theodor Morell (physician).

Names like Theodor

Names that sound and feel close to Theodor: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Theodor with similar names → More names starting with T →