Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 2022

Theodora

Meaning From the Ancient Greek feminine form of Theodore Gender Girl Rank 2025 #726 Trend ↑ Rising 41%

From the Ancient Greek feminine form of Theodore.

Rank 2025
#726
among girls · ↑85 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
384
named Theodora · +11% vs 2024
How common
1 in 4,186
girls born in 2025
Peak year
2022
426 babies
All-time total
12,703
#1,449 all-time among girls
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Theodora popularity over time

12,703 babies have been named Theodora since 1880, 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
0.080.150.230.318801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys

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 Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s 107 – 107 11 – #518
1890s 220 – 220 22 +106% #521
1900s 342 – 342 34 +55% #506
1910s 994 10 1,004 100 +194% #546
1920s 1,597 21 1,618 162 +61% #522
1930s 1,099 12 1,111 111 -31% #509
1940s 1,411 – 1,411 141 +27% #539
1950s 1,041 6 1,047 105 -26% #818
1960s 715 – 715 72 -32% #1,183
1970s 436 – 436 44 -39% #1,654
1980s 428 – 428 43 -2% #2,113
1990s 457 – 457 46 +7% #2,265
2000s 447 – 447 45 -2% #2,952
2010s 1,126 – 1,126 113 +152% #853
2020s (to 2025) 2,234 – 2,234 372 +231% #688

Where Theodora is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (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 girls Implied rank
2026 415 0.26 outside top 500
2027 443 0.28 outside top 500
2028 469 0.29 outside top 500
2029 491 0.31 outside top 500
2030 512 0.32 outside top 500

Where Theodora is most popular

Girls named Theodora per 1,000 girls born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.235 per 1,000. Strongest in Nebraska, Rhode Island, and Illinois.

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

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are girls named Theodora 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 Girls 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Nebraska 24 0.668 +184%
Rhode Island 6 0.479 +104%
Illinois 102 0.446 +90%
Maryland 47 0.444 +89%
Massachusetts 52 0.430 +83%
Washington 62 0.429 +83%
District of Columbia 5 0.422 +80%
Pennsylvania 99 0.419 +78%
Colorado 46 0.412 +75%
Wisconsin 38 0.369 +57%
Minnesota 38 0.352 +50%
Indiana 49 0.349 +49%
Virginia 57 0.334 +42%
Ohio 78 0.329 +40%
New York 129 0.326 +39%
New Hampshire 6 0.325 +38%
Maine 5 0.323 +38%
Michigan 57 0.313 +33%
Connecticut 18 0.309 +32%
Kentucky 24 0.281 +19%
New Jersey 50 0.277 +18%
Oregon 18 0.276 +18%
Missouri 32 0.266 +13%
Tennessee 42 0.265 +13%
North Carolina 57 0.250 +7%
Arkansas 11 0.208 -11%
New Mexico 5 0.206 -12%
Iowa 12 0.205 -13%
Utah 16 0.192 -18%
Texas 153 0.190 -19%
Florida 78 0.182 -22%
Arizona 25 0.178 -24%
South Carolina 16 0.178 -24%
California 149 0.177 -25%
Georgia 36 0.158 -33%
Nevada 7 0.151 -36%
Oklahoma 11 0.149 -36%
Kansas 5 0.087 -63%
Louisiana 5 0.057 -76%
Alabama 5 0.053 -77%
Alaska – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Idaho – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
South Dakota – – –
Vermont – – –
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 Theodora

Theodora is uncommon for girls in the United States, ranked #726 in 2025 with 384 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 12,703 American babies have been named Theodora. Its peak came in 2022, when 426 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 Theodora stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Theodora?

The median living Theodora is about 29 years old; half are between 5 and 67. An estimated 7,800 people named Theodora are alive in the United States today.

median 29 020406080100

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

Theodora year by year

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

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 384 #726 – –
2024 346 #811 – –
2023 363 #778 – –
2022 426 #688 – –
2021 387 #738 – –
2020 328 #836 – –
2019 314 #853 – –
2018 159 #1,411 – –
2017 107 #1,899 – –
2016 108 #1,889 – –
2015 81 #2,315 – –
2014 85 #2,233 – –
2013 96 #2,031 – –
2012 68 #2,651 – –
2011 61 #2,864 – –
2010 47 #3,467 – –
2009 45 #3,614 – –
2008 41 #3,930 – –
2007 47 #3,528 – –
2006 49 #3,365 – –
2005 41 #3,641 – –
2004 44 #3,440 – –
2003 52 #2,952 – –
2002 47 #3,098 – –
2001 37 #3,626 – –
2000 44 #3,163 – –
1995 54 #2,419 – –
1990 39 #2,955 – –
1985 49 #2,171 – –
1980 41 #2,387 – –
1975 46 #1,958 – –
1970 41 #2,039 – –
1965 63 #1,393 – –
1960 83 #1,197 – –
1955 100 #1,002 – –
1950 104 #873 – –
1945 142 #608 – –
1940 126 #628 – –
1935 86 #728 – –
1930 114 #649 – –
1925 153 #583 – –
1920 175 #538 5 #4,917
1915 129 #568 5 #4,331
1910 40 #678 – –
1905 40 #554 – –
1900 24 #759 – –
1895 28 #576 – –
1890 26 #521 – –
1885 18 #518 – –
1880 11 #542 – –

Famous people named Theodora

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

  1. 1 Theodora Theodora Byzantine empress (c. 815 – c. 867 CE) Medieval
  2. 2 Theodora Theodora Papal mistress (c. 870 – 916) 900–916 · Medieval
  3. 3 Theodora Komnene, Queen of Jerusalem Theodora Komnene, Queen of Jerusalem Queen of Jerusalem from 1158 to 1162 1145–1180 · Medieval
  4. 4 Theodora Theodora Roman empress from 527 to 548 500–548 · Medieval
  5. 5 Theodora of Khazaria Byzantine empress from 705 to 711 700–800 · Medieval
  6. 6 Theodora Byzantine empress from 920 to 922 801–922 · Medieval
  7. 7 Theodora Komnene, Duchess of Austria Theodora Komnene, Duchess of Austria Nobleman, Turkey 1134–1184 · Medieval
  8. 8 Theodora Porphyrogenita Theodora Porphyrogenita Byzantine empress from 1042 to 1056 984–1056 · Medieval
  9. 9 Theodora of Trebizond Theodora of Trebizond Empress and Autocrat of all the East, of the Iberians and of Perateia 1253–1285 · Medieval
  10. 10 Theodora, daughter of Constantine VII Byzantine empress (born c. 946) Medieval

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Theodora?

The median living Theodora is about 29 years old. Half of all living Theodoras are between 5 and 67 years old.

How many people named Theodora are alive today?

An estimated 7,800 people named Theodora are alive in the United States, based on 12,703 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Theodora mean?

From the Ancient Greek feminine form of Theodore.

How popular is the name Theodora in 2025?

Theodora ranked #726 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 384 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Theodora?

12,703 babies have been named Theodora in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Theodora most popular?

Theodora peaked in 2022, when 426 newborns received the name.

Is Theodora a boy or girl name?

Theodora is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Theodora rising or falling?

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

Will Theodora become more popular?

Theodora is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 512 girls named Theodora in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Theodora?

Well-known people named Theodora include Theodora (religious figure), Theodora (politician), Theodora Komnene, Queen of Jerusalem (politician).

Names like Theodora

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

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