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Boy name · Greek

Theo

Name meaning, origin and popularity

: gift of God

Theo is a boy's name that comes from Greek and means "gift of God". It is used in English, German, Dutch, Scandinavian, Greek and French.

Meaning
Gift of God
Origin
Greek
Gender
Boy
Say it
THEE-oh

Meaning and origin of Theo

As a boy's name, Theo comes from Greek and means "gift of God". It is used in English, German, Dutch, Scandinavian, Greek and French. In French it is spelled Théo.

Say it THEE-oh. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.

Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names

Theo on Nomezo lists

What our editors wrote about Theo on 5 lists.

  • “Thoughtful, gentle and modern”

    From Nicknames for ChatGPT, human-sounding names for an AI assistant

  • “Short for Theodore, Greek for gift of God”

    From Boy cat names, classic boy cat names

  • “Gift of God; Greek, a short form with big charm. Say THEE-oh”

    From Cute boy names, short and cute boy names

  • “Soft, sweet and bright, a modern favorite”

    From Cute dog names, cute boy dog names

  • “Gift of God; Greek, short for Theodor. Third in Germany in 2025”

    From German boy names, popular German boy names

How popular is Theo?

US rank in 2025
#82
3,945 babies, 2,310 per million boys
Best rank
#78 in 2023
4,140 babies that year
Babies since 1880
At least 35,830
Years with under 5 are not listed
1880s1900s1920s1940s1960s1980s2000s2020s
Babies per million US boys, by decade (the 2020s so far, to 2025). Highest in the 2020s, at 2,006 per million.
Babies named Theo per million US boys, by decade; highest in the 2020s
1880s85 per million
1890s103 per million
1900s166 per million
1910s107 per million
1920s89 per million
1930s64 per million
1940s30 per million
1950s18 per million
1960s17 per million
1970s23 per million
1980s29 per million
1990s31 per million
2000s69 per million
2010s436 per million
2020s2,006 per million
US rank by year
Year2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Rank#354#290#243#195#172#142#98#78#80#82

Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.

Other forms of Theo

The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.

  • FyodorGift of God (Greek, boy)
  • TadrosGift of God (Greek, boy)
  • TeddyGift of God (Greek, boy)
  • TeodorGift of God (Greek, boy)
  • TeodoroGift of God (Greek, boy)
  • TheodorGift of God (Greek, boy)
  • TheodoreGift of God (Greek, boy)
  • TheodorosGift of God (Greek, boy)
  • ThodorisGift of God (Greek, boy)

Names spelled like Theo

One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.

  • TaeoGreat enlightenment (depends on hanja) (Korean, boy)
  • TheronHunter (Greek, boy)
  • ThorThunder (Old Norse, boy)
  • TaehoGreat and vast (depends on hanja) (Korean, boy)
  • TanoFrom Gaeta (Latin, boy)
  • TaoGreat waves (depends on characters) (Chinese, boy)
  • TaroBig son; eldest son (Japanese, boy)
  • TavoPet form of Gustavo (Spanish, boy)
  • ThaboJoy, happiness (Sotho, boy)

Names with a similar meaning

  • DoraGift (Greek, girl)
  • DorotheaGift of God (Greek, girl)
  • IsadoraGift of Isis (Greek, girl)
  • MatthiasGift of God (Hebrew, boy)
  • DoroteaGift of God (Greek, girl)
  • EudoraGood gift (Greek, girl)
  • FeodoraGift of God (Greek, girl)
  • HeliodoraGift of the sun (Greek, girl)
  • HeliodoroGift of the sun (Greek, boy)
  • JessePossibly gift, or existence (Hebrew, boy)

Middle names for Theo

Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.

  • AltonTown at a river's source (Old English, boy)
  • BernardBrave bear (Germanic, boy)
  • BrooksSmall streams (Old English, boy)
  • JonahA dove (Hebrew, boy)
  • MitchellWho is like God? (Hebrew, boy)
  • PeterRock, stone (Greek, boy)
  • WestonWest town (Old English, boy)
  • WilliamResolute protector (Germanic, boy)

More boy names from Greek

  • AlexanderDefender of men (Greek, boy)
  • LucasMan from Lucania (Greek, boy)
  • ChristianFollower of Christ (Greek, boy)
  • LeonA lion (Greek, boy)
  • HectorHolding fast (Greek, boy)
  • AlexisHelper, defender (Greek, boy)
  • LucaMan from Lucania (Greek, boy)
  • SebastianMan of sebaste, venerable (Greek, boy)
  • AlexDefender, protector (Greek, unisex)
  • AndreasManly, brave (Greek, boy)

Theo: common questions

What does the name Theo mean?

Theo comes from Greek and means "gift of God".

Is Theo a boy or girl name?

Theo is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 21 girls and 3,945 boys in the US were named Theo, according to Social Security Administration data.

Where does the name Theo come from?

Theo comes from Greek and means "gift of God". Today it is used in English, German, Dutch, Scandinavian, Greek and French.

How do you pronounce Theo?

Say THEE-oh. Pronunciation can vary between languages and regions.

How popular is the name Theo?

Theo ranked #82 in the US in 2025, with 3,945 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

What are other forms of Theo?

Forms of Theo with the same meaning and origin include Fyodor (Russian), Tadros (Arabic), Teddy (English), Teodor (Polish) and Teodoro (Spanish).

What middle names go with Theo?

Middle names that flow well with Theo include Alton, Bernard, Brooks, Jonah and Mitchell. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.