Theo
Boy name · #82 in 2025 · Well-known
Theo ranks #82 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 3,945 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #405, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 456 boys born in 2025 was named Theo.
Babies named Theo per year. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Theo first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 9 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2023, with 4,140 babies and a rank of #78. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. 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.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Theo against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Theo in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Theo is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Theo is most common
Geography matters for names, and Theo is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Theo is most common in HI (7.9 per 1,000), DC (5.5 per 1,000), MA (5.1 per 1,000), CT (4.6 per 1,000), UT (4.2 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 2.7 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Theo is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Theo
Theo belongs to the Theodore family — closely related nicknames and spellings of the same name.
Counted as one name, the Theodore family went to about 17,638 boys in 2025 — together they'd rank around #3, versus #82 for Theo alone.
Names like Theo
Statistically, parents drawn to Theo tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Enzo, Thiago, Milo, Arlo, and Luka.
EnzoThiagoMiloArloLukaAtlasMatteoNico
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Theo | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,945 | #82 |
| 2024 | 4,129 | #80 |
| 2023 | 4,140 | #78 |
| 2022 | 3,642 | #98 |
| 2021 | 2,703 | #142 |
| 2020 | 2,225 | #172 |
| 2019 | 2,018 | #195 |
| 2018 | 1,554 | #243 |
| 2017 | 1,232 | #290 |
| 2016 | 952 | #354 |
| 2015 | 765 | #405 |
| 2014 | 550 | #509 |
| 2013 | 365 | #663 |
| 2012 | 287 | #790 |
| 2011 | 245 | #863 |
| 2010 | 221 | #914 |
| 2009 | 187 | #1032 |
| 2008 | 188 | #1019 |
| 2007 | 191 | #1012 |
| 2006 | 156 | #1116 |
| 2005 | 139 | #1150 |
| 2004 | 133 | #1172 |
| 2003 | 109 | #1291 |
| 2002 | 98 | #1346 |
| 2001 | 84 | #1460 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Theo a popular boy name?
Theo ranked #82 among boys in 2025 with 3,945 babies given the name — firmly in the top 100, so yes, it’s a popular choice. Ten years earlier it ranked #405.
When was the name Theo most popular?
Theo peaked in 2023, when 4,140 American boys received the name (ranked #78 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Theo?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 456 newborn American boys was named Theo. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "well-known".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.