Theodora
Theodora was given to 384 girls in 2025, #726 among girls’ names; 12,703 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 7,570 Americans named Theodora and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (60% of everyone recorded); the median is 27 years old and half are between 5 and 66.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Theodora by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Theodora mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Theodora is “a female given name from Ancient Greek, most famously borne by two empresses of Byzantium.”
From the Ancient Greek feminine form of Theodore.
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Theodora?
#726 among girls’ names, 2025
Theodora rose from #2,315 in 2015 to #726 in 2025 among girls’ names; its share of girls born rose from 0.05 to 0.24 per 1,000.
426 babies in 2022, the peak
Theodora peaked in 2022, when 426 girls were given it, #688 among girls’ names. The 384 births of 2025 are 90% of that peak.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 384 | #726 | 0.24 |
| 2024 | 346 | #811 | 0.21 |
| 2023 | 363 | #778 | 0.23 |
| 2022 | 426 | #688 | 0.26 |
| 2021 | 387 | #738 | 0.24 |
| 2020 | 328 | #836 | 0.20 |
| 2019 | 314 | #853 | 0.19 |
| 2018 | 159 | #1,411 | 0.09 |
| 2017 | 107 | #1,899 | 0.06 |
| 2016 | 108 | #1,889 | 0.06 |
Every recorded year (145)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 81 | #2,315 | 0.05 |
| 2014 | 85 | #2,233 | 0.05 |
| 2013 | 96 | #2,031 | 0.05 |
| 2012 | 68 | #2,651 | 0.04 |
| 2011 | 61 | #2,863 | 0.03 |
| 2010 | 47 | #3,466 | 0.03 |
| 2009 | 45 | #3,613 | 0.02 |
| 2008 | 41 | #3,929 | 0.02 |
| 2007 | 47 | #3,527 | 0.02 |
| 2006 | 49 | #3,364 | 0.03 |
| 2005 | 41 | #3,637 | 0.02 |
| 2004 | 44 | #3,436 | 0.02 |
| 2003 | 52 | #2,949 | 0.03 |
| 2002 | 47 | #3,094 | 0.03 |
| 2001 | 37 | #3,622 | 0.02 |
| 2000 | 44 | #3,159 | 0.02 |
| 1999 | 48 | #2,848 | 0.03 |
| 1998 | 52 | #2,646 | 0.03 |
| 1997 | 33 | #3,532 | 0.02 |
| 1996 | 46 | #2,708 | 0.03 |
| 1995 | 54 | #2,414 | 0.03 |
| 1994 | 49 | #2,577 | 0.03 |
| 1993 | 58 | #2,260 | 0.03 |
| 1992 | 42 | #2,862 | 0.02 |
| 1991 | 36 | #3,148 | 0.02 |
| 1990 | 39 | #2,950 | 0.02 |
| 1989 | 42 | #2,706 | 0.02 |
| 1988 | 41 | #2,634 | 0.02 |
| 1987 | 49 | #2,232 | 0.03 |
| 1986 | 51 | #2,112 | 0.03 |
| 1985 | 49 | #2,170 | 0.03 |
| 1984 | 40 | #2,416 | 0.02 |
| 1983 | 42 | #2,306 | 0.03 |
| 1982 | 38 | #2,528 | 0.02 |
| 1981 | 35 | #2,653 | 0.02 |
| 1980 | 41 | #2,387 | 0.02 |
| 1979 | 29 | #2,990 | 0.02 |
| 1978 | 30 | #2,796 | 0.02 |
| 1977 | 37 | #2,418 | 0.02 |
| 1976 | 42 | #2,096 | 0.03 |
| 1975 | 46 | #1,958 | 0.03 |
| 1974 | 50 | #1,798 | 0.03 |
| 1973 | 54 | #1,686 | 0.04 |
| 1972 | 55 | #1,654 | 0.04 |
| 1971 | 52 | #1,753 | 0.03 |
| 1970 | 41 | #2,039 | 0.02 |
| 1969 | 56 | #1,607 | 0.03 |
| 1968 | 43 | #1,830 | 0.03 |
| 1967 | 69 | #1,322 | 0.04 |
| 1966 | 70 | #1,302 | 0.04 |
| 1965 | 63 | #1,393 | 0.04 |
| 1964 | 85 | #1,203 | 0.04 |
| 1963 | 75 | #1,279 | 0.04 |
| 1962 | 83 | #1,217 | 0.04 |
| 1961 | 88 | #1,182 | 0.04 |
| 1960 | 83 | #1,196 | 0.04 |
| 1959 | 110 | #1,011 | 0.05 |
| 1958 | 90 | #1,117 | 0.04 |
| 1957 | 85 | #1,150 | 0.04 |
| 1956 | 104 | #1,004 | 0.05 |
| 1955 | 100 | #1,001 | 0.05 |
| 1954 | 102 | #962 | 0.05 |
| 1953 | 117 | #869 | 0.06 |
| 1952 | 125 | #817 | 0.07 |
| 1951 | 104 | #888 | 0.06 |
| 1950 | 104 | #872 | 0.06 |
| 1949 | 134 | #739 | 0.08 |
| 1948 | 131 | #739 | 0.08 |
| 1947 | 143 | #709 | 0.08 |
| 1946 | 125 | #725 | 0.08 |
| 1945 | 142 | #608 | 0.11 |
| 1944 | 140 | #621 | 0.11 |
| 1943 | 141 | #640 | 0.10 |
| 1942 | 189 | #539 | 0.14 |
| 1941 | 140 | #596 | 0.12 |
| 1940 | 126 | #628 | 0.11 |
| 1939 | 131 | #588 | 0.12 |
| 1938 | 146 | #567 | 0.13 |
| 1937 | 167 | #509 | 0.16 |
| 1936 | 60 | #885 | 0.06 |
| 1935 | 86 | #728 | 0.08 |
| 1934 | 82 | #738 | 0.08 |
| 1933 | 90 | #687 | 0.09 |
| 1932 | 115 | #622 | 0.11 |
| 1931 | 108 | #641 | 0.10 |
| 1930 | 114 | #649 | 0.10 |
| 1929 | 141 | #577 | 0.13 |
| 1928 | 150 | #578 | 0.13 |
| 1927 | 156 | #573 | 0.13 |
| 1926 | 131 | #626 | 0.11 |
| 1925 | 153 | #583 | 0.13 |
| 1924 | 177 | #547 | 0.14 |
| 1923 | 158 | #571 | 0.13 |
| 1922 | 172 | #541 | 0.14 |
| 1921 | 184 | #522 | 0.15 |
| 1920 | 175 | #538 | 0.15 |
| 1919 | 133 | #611 | 0.12 |
| 1918 | 166 | #546 | 0.14 |
| 1917 | 129 | #601 | 0.12 |
| 1916 | 122 | #615 | 0.12 |
| 1915 | 129 | #568 | 0.13 |
| 1914 | 78 | #658 | 0.10 |
| 1913 | 87 | #548 | 0.14 |
| 1912 | 60 | #647 | 0.11 |
| 1911 | 50 | #608 | 0.12 |
| 1910 | 40 | #678 | 0.10 |
| 1909 | 42 | #606 | 0.12 |
| 1908 | 52 | #506 | 0.16 |
| 1907 | 37 | #623 | 0.12 |
| 1906 | 41 | #554 | 0.14 |
| 1905 | 40 | #554 | 0.14 |
| 1904 | 39 | #535 | 0.14 |
| 1903 | 24 | #690 | 0.09 |
| 1902 | 24 | #713 | 0.09 |
| 1901 | 19 | #766 | 0.08 |
| 1900 | 24 | #759 | 0.08 |
| 1899 | 16 | #831 | 0.07 |
| 1898 | 29 | #609 | 0.11 |
| 1897 | 20 | #713 | 0.09 |
| 1896 | 21 | #704 | 0.09 |
| 1895 | 28 | #576 | 0.12 |
| 1894 | 20 | #681 | 0.09 |
| 1893 | 15 | #789 | 0.07 |
| 1892 | 22 | #614 | 0.10 |
| 1891 | 23 | #556 | 0.12 |
| 1890 | 26 | #521 | 0.14 |
| 1889 | 18 | #617 | 0.10 |
| 1888 | 18 | #611 | 0.10 |
| 1887 | 12 | #689 | 0.08 |
| 1886 | 8 | #887 | 0.06 |
| 1885 | 18 | #518 | 0.14 |
| 1884 | 6 | #1,017 | 0.05 |
| 1883 | 11 | #610 | 0.10 |
| 1881 | 5 | #932 | 0.05 |
| 1880 | 11 | #542 | 0.12 |
Ranks and shares: girls’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all girls SSA recorded that year.
Is Theodora a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Theodora has been given almost only to girls: 49 boys in 145 years of records.
Girls and boys named Theodora: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Theodora, and how old are they?
7,570 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 60% of the 12,703 Americans ever recorded as Theodora. The median Theodora alive today is 27 years old; half are between 5 and 66.
The 2020 Census counted 7,119 people named Theodora (7,079 women and girls, 40 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 6,094 born in the U.S. The Census count is 17% above that prediction. Possible reasons: the Census counts people born abroad, whom SSA’s files leave out, and it records the name people give, which SSA may have recorded under another spelling or as part of a compound name.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 711 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 1,520 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 718 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 692 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 748 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 3,170 |
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 Theodora born?
The states with the most babies named Theodora are Texas, New York and California, with 24% of its births recorded by state in 2025.
| State | Births 2025 | Rank, girls | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 34 | #877 | 0.4× |
| New York | 28 | #608 | 1.9× |
| California | 22 | #1,183 | 0.9× |
| Pennsylvania | 20 | #555 | 1.1× |
| Illinois | 20 | #512 | 1.0× |
| Ohio | 20 | #529 | 0.5× |
| Florida | 20 | #823 | 0.5× |
| Michigan | 18 | #482 | 0.6× |
| North Carolina | 12 | #826 | 0.2× |
| New Jersey | 11 | #713 | 1.2× |
Where Theodora is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Theodora is most over-represented in New York: since 1910 it was given 1.9 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 girls’ 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 Theodora with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 3 names spelled alike, given to 14,313 babies since 1880, Theodora is the most given (89% of them). In 2025 it was given to 384 of their 470 babies (82%), again the most given.
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Theodora
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 Theodora and names like it
- Compare Theodora and TheadoraBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 2020sTheodora peaked in 2022.
- New York’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Theodora since 1910.
- The top names of 2022The year the most babies were named Theodora.
- The names of Generation AlphaMost people named Theodora alive today were born 2013-2025.
- Names starting with TMost given first.