Total births
317,206
Boys' name · since 1880
Theodore
317,206 babies named Theodore in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 2025. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #4
- among boys today
- 317,206
- born since 1880
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 99.9%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Theodore is the #4 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 317,206 recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Theodore has been recorded 317,206 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #4 nationally and more common than 99.9% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2020s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #4 among boys today
- 317,206 born since 1880
- 2020s peak decade
- 99.9% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Theodore is currently the #4 boys' name in America, more common than 99.9% of boys - 317,206 born since 1880, peaking in the 2020s.
- #4
- among boys today
- 317,206
- born since 1880
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 99.9%
- more common than other boys
Theodore vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#4
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 99.9% of names given to boys today.
2020s
Peak decade
21% of everyone ever named Theodore was born in this single decade.
2025
Single peak year
13,355 babies were named Theodore in 2025 - its busiest year on record.
How Theodore compares
317,206 Top 1% higher than 99% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys 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
Theodore's all-time total is 864x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Theodore | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 317,206 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 13,355 | 23 | 22,252 |
Theodore's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Theodore's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 61% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 39%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1881, with only 178 births recorded -- set against the 2025 peak of 13,355, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Theodore at a glance
Top 10 boys' namePeak year
2025
Current rank
#4
Active since
1880
Theodore popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2025)
- 13,355
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Theodore popularity over time - girls
969 total births recorded since 1901 (Theodore as girls' name)
Theodore by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2020s was Theodore's strongest decade.
65,579 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Theodore births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 2,176
1880s
2,176 births
- 1890s 2,300
1890s
2,300 births
- 1900s 6,490
1900s
6,490 births
- 1910s 21,106
1910s
21,106 births
- 1920s
1920s
31,287 births
- 1930s 24,957
1930s
24,957 births
- 1940s
1940s
26,249 births
- 1950s
1950s
29,050 births
- 1960s 21,288
1960s
21,288 births
- 1970s 13,567
1970s
13,567 births
- 1980s 11,958
1980s
11,958 births
- 1990s 10,113
1990s
10,113 births
- 2000s 10,556
2000s
10,556 births
- 2010s
2010s
40,530 births
- 2020s
2020s
65,579 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 65,579 births (21% of all-time use).
How Theodore compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Theodore's total volume
Theodore vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Theodore by state
Where Theodore concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 30,282 | 9.5% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 23,025 | 7.3% |
| #3 | California | | 22,772 | 7.2% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 17,801 | 5.6% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 15,863 | 5.0% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 14,011 | 4.4% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 12,129 | 3.8% |
| #8 | Texas | | 11,066 | 3.5% |
New York share of Theodore's total US births 9.5%
Even split
30,282 of 317,206 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Theodore appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Theodore? ▼
Theodore has been given to 317,206 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #4 as of the latest data. 13,355 babies were born in 2025, its single highest year.
When was Theodore most popular? ▼
Theodore was most popular in the 2020s decade with 65,579 total births. The single peak year was 2025.
Where is Theodore most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Theodore are New York (30,282 births), Pennsylvania (23,025 births), California (22,772 births).
How long has the name Theodore been used? ▼
Records for Theodore go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Theodore? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Theo, Theron, Theadore, Theophilus, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Theodore's data
- New York records the most Theodores (30,282 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 Theodore
Nearby Names Like Theodore
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Theodore
Theo Boy
#80 35,830 births
Theron Boy
#2837 12,960 births
Theadore Boy
#9912 4,005 births
Theophilus Boy
#2213 2,448 births
Theodis Boy
2,244 births
Compare Theodore side by side: Theodore vs Theo Theodore vs Theron Theodore vs Theadore
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Theodore
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. "Theodore: #4 Boys' Name - 317,206 Births, Peak 2025." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/theodore. 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 Theodore 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.