Theo
Theo was given to 3,945 boys in 2025, #82 among boys’ names; 39,333 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 33,100 Americans named Theo and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (84% of everyone recorded); the median is 5 years old and half are between 3 and 9.
Theo came back: it left the boys’ top 1,000 after 1945 and returned in 2010.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Theo by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Theo mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Theo is “a male given name from Ancient Greek and nickname.”
Also “a diminutive of the female given name Theodora.”
Short form of Theodore, or of the rare given names Theobald, Theophilus or Theodoric, or of Theodora.
/ˈθioʊ/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Theo?
#82 among boys’ names, 2025
Theo rose from #406 in 2015 to #82 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born rose from 0.40 to 2.3 per 1,000.
4,182 babies in 2023, the peak
Theo peaked in 2023, when 4,182 babies were given it (4,140 boys, #78 among boys’ names). The 3,966 births of 2025 (girls and boys) are 95% of that peak.
Births by sex.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,945 | #82 | 2.3 |
| 2024 | 4,129 | #80 | 2.4 |
| 2023 | 4,140 | #78 | 2.4 |
| 2022 | 3,642 | #98 | 2.1 |
| 2021 | 2,703 | #142 | 1.5 |
| 2020 | 2,225 | #172 | 1.3 |
| 2019 | 2,018 | #195 | 1.1 |
| 2018 | 1,554 | #243 | 0.86 |
| 2017 | 1,232 | #290 | 0.67 |
| 2016 | 952 | #354 | 0.50 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 765 | #406 | 0.40 |
| 2014 | 550 | #509 | 0.29 |
| 2013 | 365 | #663 | 0.19 |
| 2012 | 287 | #790 | 0.15 |
| 2011 | 245 | #863 | 0.13 |
| 2010 | 221 | #918 | 0.12 |
| 2009 | 187 | #1,033 | 0.09 |
| 2008 | 188 | #1,022 | 0.09 |
| 2007 | 191 | #1,012 | 0.09 |
| 2006 | 156 | #1,120 | 0.08 |
| 2005 | 139 | #1,153 | 0.07 |
| 2004 | 133 | #1,176 | 0.07 |
| 2003 | 109 | #1,294 | 0.06 |
| 2002 | 98 | #1,352 | 0.05 |
| 2001 | 84 | #1,467 | 0.04 |
| 2000 | 101 | #1,286 | 0.05 |
| 1999 | 76 | #1,499 | 0.04 |
| 1998 | 63 | #1,661 | 0.03 |
| 1997 | 62 | #1,642 | 0.03 |
| 1996 | 53 | #1,758 | 0.03 |
| 1995 | 56 | #1,641 | 0.03 |
| 1994 | 54 | #1,683 | 0.03 |
| 1993 | 50 | #1,734 | 0.03 |
| 1992 | 59 | #1,518 | 0.03 |
| 1991 | 61 | #1,460 | 0.03 |
| 1990 | 66 | #1,377 | 0.03 |
| 1989 | 77 | #1,222 | 0.04 |
| 1988 | 77 | #1,150 | 0.04 |
| 1987 | 75 | #1,111 | 0.04 |
| 1986 | 85 | #1,005 | 0.05 |
| 1985 | 76 | #1,062 | 0.04 |
| 1984 | 23 | #2,284 | 0.01 |
| 1983 | 27 | #2,010 | 0.02 |
| 1982 | 33 | #1,768 | 0.02 |
| 1981 | 31 | #1,858 | 0.02 |
| 1980 | 36 | #1,651 | 0.02 |
| 1979 | 38 | #1,565 | 0.02 |
| 1978 | 46 | #1,368 | 0.03 |
| 1977 | 51 | #1,248 | 0.03 |
| 1976 | 58 | #1,122 | 0.04 |
| 1975 | 57 | #1,124 | 0.04 |
| 1974 | 32 | #1,577 | 0.02 |
| 1973 | 27 | #1,731 | 0.02 |
| 1972 | 26 | #1,765 | 0.02 |
| 1971 | 23 | #1,907 | 0.01 |
| 1970 | 28 | #1,653 | 0.02 |
| 1969 | 29 | #1,525 | 0.02 |
| 1968 | 24 | #1,642 | 0.01 |
| 1967 | 29 | #1,442 | 0.02 |
| 1966 | 23 | #1,646 | 0.01 |
| 1965 | 43 | #1,161 | 0.02 |
| 1964 | 39 | #1,259 | 0.02 |
| 1963 | 32 | #1,397 | 0.02 |
| 1962 | 26 | #1,585 | 0.01 |
| 1961 | 36 | #1,345 | 0.02 |
| 1960 | 42 | #1,225 | 0.02 |
| 1959 | 36 | #1,319 | 0.02 |
| 1958 | 35 | #1,319 | 0.02 |
| 1957 | 37 | #1,297 | 0.02 |
| 1956 | 39 | #1,229 | 0.02 |
| 1955 | 33 | #1,336 | 0.02 |
| 1954 | 30 | #1,404 | 0.01 |
| 1953 | 33 | #1,326 | 0.02 |
| 1952 | 41 | #1,164 | 0.02 |
| 1951 | 46 | #1,065 | 0.02 |
| 1950 | 41 | #1,121 | 0.02 |
| 1949 | 36 | #1,200 | 0.02 |
| 1948 | 47 | #1,033 | 0.03 |
| 1947 | 39 | #1,174 | 0.02 |
| 1946 | 43 | #1,057 | 0.03 |
| 1945 | 48 | #941 | 0.04 |
| 1944 | 44 | #988 | 0.03 |
| 1943 | 61 | #854 | 0.04 |
| 1942 | 45 | #1,003 | 0.03 |
| 1941 | 39 | #1,047 | 0.03 |
| 1940 | 38 | #1,063 | 0.03 |
| 1939 | 64 | #762 | 0.06 |
| 1938 | 64 | #769 | 0.06 |
| 1937 | 40 | #1,011 | 0.04 |
| 1936 | 73 | #697 | 0.07 |
| 1935 | 71 | #729 | 0.07 |
| 1934 | 55 | #852 | 0.05 |
| 1933 | 62 | #781 | 0.06 |
| 1932 | 76 | #719 | 0.07 |
| 1931 | 85 | #649 | 0.08 |
| 1930 | 90 | #653 | 0.08 |
| 1929 | 75 | #728 | 0.07 |
| 1928 | 92 | #657 | 0.08 |
| 1927 | 109 | #596 | 0.10 |
| 1926 | 104 | #618 | 0.09 |
| 1925 | 98 | #644 | 0.09 |
| 1924 | 97 | #656 | 0.09 |
| 1923 | 92 | #670 | 0.08 |
| 1922 | 109 | #619 | 0.10 |
| 1921 | 107 | #615 | 0.10 |
| 1920 | 97 | #645 | 0.09 |
| 1919 | 92 | #637 | 0.09 |
| 1918 | 87 | #665 | 0.09 |
| 1917 | 89 | #631 | 0.10 |
| 1916 | 96 | #596 | 0.11 |
| 1915 | 91 | #604 | 0.11 |
| 1914 | 81 | #554 | 0.12 |
| 1913 | 62 | #551 | 0.12 |
| 1912 | 50 | #572 | 0.12 |
| 1911 | 31 | #546 | 0.14 |
| 1910 | 35 | #472 | 0.18 |
| 1909 | 22 | #572 | 0.13 |
| 1908 | 34 | #412 | 0.22 |
| 1907 | 29 | #436 | 0.20 |
| 1906 | 17 | #585 | 0.13 |
| 1905 | 23 | #475 | 0.17 |
| 1904 | 27 | #407 | 0.21 |
| 1903 | 18 | #523 | 0.15 |
| 1902 | 24 | #425 | 0.20 |
| 1901 | 18 | #464 | 0.17 |
| 1900 | 14 | #695 | 0.09 |
| 1899 | 10 | #709 | 0.09 |
| 1898 | 16 | #537 | 0.13 |
| 1897 | 11 | #676 | 0.10 |
| 1896 | 12 | #670 | 0.10 |
| 1895 | 14 | #577 | 0.12 |
| 1894 | 12 | #624 | 0.10 |
| 1893 | 11 | #646 | 0.10 |
| 1892 | 9 | #788 | 0.07 |
| 1891 | 11 | #589 | 0.11 |
| 1890 | 12 | #599 | 0.11 |
| 1889 | 8 | #783 | 0.07 |
| 1888 | 9 | #750 | 0.07 |
| 1887 | 10 | #627 | 0.10 |
| 1886 | 8 | #751 | 0.07 |
| 1885 | 8 | #759 | 0.07 |
| 1884 | 7 | #839 | 0.06 |
| 1883 | 14 | #493 | 0.13 |
| 1882 | 12 | #573 | 0.11 |
| 1881 | 8 | #697 | 0.08 |
| 1880 | 9 | #680 | 0.08 |
Ranks and shares: boys’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all boys SSA recorded that year.
Is Theo a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Of the 39,333 Americans recorded as Theo, 9% are girls and 91% boys. Boys have outnumbered girls among babies named Theo every year since 2000. In 2025 it went to 21 girls and 3,945 boys.
Years with fewer than 20 babies given the name are left blank.
Girls and boys named Theo: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Theo, and how old are they?
33,100 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 84% of the 39,333 Americans ever recorded as Theo. The median Theo alive today is 5 years old; half are between 3 and 9.
The 2020 Census counted 15,942 people named Theo (930 women and girls, 15,012 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 13,322 born in the U.S. The Census count is 20% above that prediction. Possible reasons: the Census records the name people give, which for many is the short form Theo rather than the name on their birth record, and it counts people born abroad, whom SSA’s files leave out.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 369 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 725 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 534 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 864 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 2,310 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 28,300 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Theo born?
The states with the most babies named Theo are California, Texas and New York, with 27% of its births recorded by state in 2025.
| State | Births 2025 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 484 | #77 | 0.9× |
| Texas | 315 | #124 | 0.6× |
| New York | 258 | #64 | 0.9× |
| Florida | 258 | #77 | 0.8× |
| Pennsylvania | 161 | #74 | 0.8× |
| Illinois | 154 | #72 | 0.9× |
| Massachusetts | 138 | #41 | 1.5× |
| Ohio | 136 | #88 | 0.7× |
| North Carolina | 133 | #92 | 0.6× |
| New Jersey | 132 | #66 | 0.8× |
Where Theo is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Theo is most over-represented in Massachusetts: since 1910 it was given 1.5 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Theo with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Theo
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Theo and names like it
- Compare Theo and HayesBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 2020sTheo peaked in 2023.
- California’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Theo since 1910.
- Ancient Greek namesWiktionary’s origin for Theo: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 2023The year the most babies were named Theo.
- The names of Generation AlphaMost people named Theo alive today were born 2013-2025.
- Names starting with TMost given first.