Total births
12,654
Girls' name · since 1880
Theodora
Theodora has 12,654 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2022 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #811
- among girls today
- 12,654
- born since 1880
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other girls
12,654 babies have been named Theodora since 1880, making it today's #811 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Theodora recorded 12,654 times among girls since 1880, holding rank #811 nationally today, ahead of 95% of girls, peaking in the 2020s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #811 among girls today
- 12,654 born since 1880
- 2020s peak decade
- 95% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Theodora is currently the #811 girls' name in America, more common than 95% of girls - 12,654 born since 1880, peaking in the 2020s.
- #811
- among girls today
- 12,654
- born since 1880
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other girls
Theodora vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#811
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 95% of names given to girls today.
2020s
Peak decade
18% of everyone ever named Theodora was born in this single decade.
2022
Single peak year
426 babies were named Theodora in 2022 - its busiest year on record.
How Theodora compares
12,654 Top 8% higher than 92% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Theodora's all-time total is 33x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Theodora | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 12,654 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 426 | 48 | 19,840 |
Theodora's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Theodora's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 52% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 48%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1881, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2022 peak of 426, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Theodora at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
2022
Current rank
#811
Active since
1880
Theodora popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2022)
- 426
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Theodora popularity over time - boys
49 total births recorded since 1915 (Theodora as boys' name)
Theodora by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2020s was Theodora's strongest decade.
2,234 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 18% of all-time use.
Theodora births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 107
1880s
107 births
- 1890s 220
1890s
220 births
- 1900s 342
1900s
342 births
- 1910s
1910s
994 births
- 1920s
1920s
1,597 births
- 1930s
1930s
1,099 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,411 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,041 births
- 1960s 715
1960s
715 births
- 1970s 436
1970s
436 births
- 1980s 428
1980s
428 births
- 1990s 457
1990s
457 births
- 2000s 447
2000s
447 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,126 births
- 2020s
2020s
2,234 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 2,234 births (18% of all-time use).
How Theodora compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Theodora's total volume
Theodora vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Theodora by state
Where Theodora concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 1,837 | 14.5% |
| #2 | California | | 853 | 6.7% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 770 | 6.1% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 603 | 4.8% |
| #5 | New Jersey | | 439 | 3.5% |
| #6 | Texas | | 379 | 3.0% |
| #7 | Massachusetts | | 337 | 2.7% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 293 | 2.3% |
New York share of Theodora's total US births 14.5%
Even split
1,837 of 12,654 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 40 reporting states.
Theodora appears in 40 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Theodora? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 12,654 babies named Theodora. Today it holds rank #811 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 2022, with 426 births.
When was Theodora most popular? ▼
Theodora was most popular in the 2020s decade with 2,234 total births. The single peak year was 2022.
Where is Theodora most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Theodora are New York (1,837 births), California (853 births), Pennsylvania (770 births).
How long has the name Theodora been used? ▼
Records for Theodora go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Theodora? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Theresa, Thelma, Therese, Thea, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Theodora's data
- New York records the most Theodoras (1,837 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Theodora
Nearby Names Like Theodora
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Theodora
Theresa Girl
#1492 404,613 births
Thelma Girl
#4299 225,460 births
Therese Girl
#2180 35,590 births
Thea Girl
#349 20,113 births
Theda Girl
6,556 births
Compare Theodora side by side: Theodora vs Theresa Theodora vs Thelma Theodora vs Therese
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Theodora
Braelynn #810
9,829 births · Peak 2016
Alianna #812
5,538 births · Peak 2024
Baylor #809
3,721 births · Peak 2025
Tallulah #813
4,102 births · Peak 2023
Cielo #808
4,764 births · Peak 2024
Malaya #814
8,467 births · Peak 2014
Jessie #807
170,036 births · Peak 1918
Meilani #815
3,971 births · Peak 2025
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Theodora: #811 Girls' Name - 12,654 Births, Peak 2022." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/theodora. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Theodora draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.