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Origin, Meaning, And History Of Theo
Theo has both Greek and German origins. In Greek, Theo means God. In German, the name is derived from “theud,” which means “folk” or “people.” It is also used as nickname for the Greek Theodore and Theobald in German.
Theodore is one of the most popular names of Greek origin and is still in use. The name means “gift of god” and was popular in the middle ages as a number of saints bore that name. The meaning of the name also appealed to people of the Christian world. Other pet names for Theodore besides Theo include Ted, Teddy, and Teddie.
When it comes to the German language, Theo is considered a short form of Theobald, where “bald” means bold. Today the name is not exclusive to Germany and is used in other countries as well. It is thought to have been brought to England by the Normans.
Theo, itself a short form, does not have a shorter version. Although, names such as Ted, Teo, or Téo ca be used as a nickname for Theo. Teo is used in Croatian, Italian, Slovene, and Spanish, while the accented version Téo is used in Portuguese.
In fiction, the name appears in PD James’ dystopian novel “The Children of Men,” where the main character is Theo Faron. Pulitzer Prize-winning novel ‘The Goldfinch’ was a coming-of-age tale of 13-year-old Theodore “Theo” Decker, who survives a terrorist bombing in which his mother is killed. The ‘Fault in our Stars’ actor Ansel Elgort played the adult Theo in the film adaptation of the novel released in 2019.
Kojak, the American TV series of the 70s, revolved around the lollipop-toting police officer Lieutenant Theodopolis “Theo” Kojak. The character Theo Kojak was ranked 18 on TV Guide’s 50 Greatest TV Characters of All Time list in 1999.
Theo
How To Pronounce Theo?
Famous People With The Name Theo
- Theo GeiselAmerican author better known as Dr. Seuss
- Theo HeemskerkFormer Dutch Prime Minister
- Theo JamesEnglish actor, best known for portraying Tobias “Four” Eaton in The Divergent series
- Theo RatliffAmerican basketball player who played 16 seasons in the NBA
- Theo WaigelGerman politician, known as ‘The Father of the Euro’
Theo On The Popularity Chart
With hardly any growth in popularity till the early 2000s, Theo took off on the popularity chart from 2013 onwards. The graphic representation below will give you more information.
Popularity Over Time
In 1980, only 36 babies per million were named Theo and the numbers did not change much till 2000 when the name crossed the 100 mark. Growth was slow for another decade when things started taking off, and from 2013 there was a steep upward curve in popularity. By 2021 the number had risen to 2688 from just 363 in 2013.
Source: Social Security AdministrationRank Over Time
Theo’s ranking has been falling since 1980 when it was ranked 13815. It improved somewhat to 13566 in 1985, but started slipping again, hitting a low of 21584 in 2007. The name ranked 17686 in 2021.
Source: Social Security AdministrationNames With Similar Sound As Theo
Theo is short and sweet. If you like the sound of it but want a different meaning, take a look at some of the options below.
Names With Similar Meaning As Theo
Who does not want a name that refers to God ? Here are some names with the same meaning as Theo.
Name Numerology For Theo
