Thea
Girl name · #353 in 2025 · Distinctive
How old is the name Thea? In official American birth records, Thea has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Thea ranks #353 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 867 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #463, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,076 girls born in 2025 was named Thea.
The 145-year story
Thea first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 6 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2018, when 1,209 girls were named Thea — good for #273 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Thea per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Thea against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Thea in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Thea is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Thea is most common
Geography matters for names, and Thea is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Thea is most common in NE (2.5 per 1,000), MN (1.5 per 1,000), WI (1.3 per 1,000), IA (1.3 per 1,000), UT (1.2 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.7 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Thea is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Thea
Thea belongs to the Theodora family — closely related nicknames and spellings of the same name.
Counted as one name, the Theodora family went to about 1,326 girls in 2025 — together they'd rank around #234, versus #353 for Thea alone.
Names like Thea
Statistically, parents drawn to Thea tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Rhea, Leia, Amina, Willa, and Alaya.
RheaLeiaAminaWillaAlayaKoraMiraAzalea
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Thea | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 867 | #353 |
| 2024 | 897 | #348 |
| 2023 | 974 | #320 |
| 2022 | 1,066 | #300 |
| 2021 | 1,033 | #314 |
| 2020 | 1,071 | #302 |
| 2019 | 1,142 | #293 |
| 2018 | 1,209 | #273 |
| 2017 | 1,193 | #268 |
| 2016 | 1,121 | #291 |
| 2015 | 688 | #463 |
| 2014 | 364 | #768 |
| 2013 | 213 | #1133 |
| 2012 | 187 | #1279 |
| 2011 | 146 | #1515 |
| 2010 | 145 | #1536 |
| 2009 | 161 | #1444 |
| 2008 | 148 | #1554 |
| 2007 | 132 | #1672 |
| 2006 | 133 | #1608 |
| 2005 | 130 | #1565 |
| 2004 | 150 | #1387 |
| 2003 | 149 | #1358 |
| 2002 | 124 | #1520 |
| 2001 | 124 | #1506 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Thea?
In official American birth records, the name Thea first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 6 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Thea a popular girl name?
Thea ranked #353 among girls in 2025 with 867 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #463.
When was the name Thea most popular?
Thea peaked in 2018, when 1,209 American girls received the name (ranked #273 that year). Since 2018 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Thea?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,076 newborn American girls was named Thea. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.