Theodore
Boy name · #4 in 2025 · Very well-known
Theodore ranks #4 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 13,355 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #99, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 135 boys born in 2025 was named Theodore.
Babies named Theodore per year. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Theodore first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 232 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 13,355 babies and a rank of #4. 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 Theodore against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Theodore in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Theodore is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very 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 Theodore is most common
Geography matters for names, and Theodore is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Theodore is most common in VT (28 per 1,000), WY (25 per 1,000), NH (22 per 1,000), ME (22 per 1,000), DC (21 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 9.1 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Theodore is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Theodore
Theodore carries a whole family of nicknames and spellings — names that will feel like the same name in a classroom.
Counted as one name, the Theodore family went to about 17,638 boys in 2025 — together they'd rank around #3, versus #4 for Theodore alone.
Names like Theodore
Statistically, parents drawn to Theodore tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Oliver, Henry, Mateo, Elias, and Santiago.
OliverHenryMateoEliasSantiagoLucaHudsonEzra
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Theodore | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 13,355 | #4 |
| 2024 | 12,069 | #4 |
| 2023 | 11,093 | #7 |
| 2022 | 10,824 | #10 |
| 2021 | 9,600 | #10 |
| 2020 | 8,638 | #23 |
| 2019 | 7,896 | #36 |
| 2018 | 7,088 | #44 |
| 2017 | 5,973 | #61 |
| 2016 | 4,910 | #83 |
| 2015 | 4,155 | #99 |
| 2014 | 3,228 | #126 |
| 2013 | 2,429 | #167 |
| 2012 | 1,945 | #194 |
| 2011 | 1,573 | #230 |
| 2010 | 1,333 | #257 |
| 2009 | 1,239 | #276 |
| 2008 | 1,139 | #293 |
| 2007 | 1,137 | #300 |
| 2006 | 1,133 | #295 |
| 2005 | 1,095 | #299 |
| 2004 | 1,005 | #313 |
| 2003 | 964 | #309 |
| 2002 | 975 | #300 |
| 2001 | 935 | #306 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Theodore a popular boy name?
Theodore ranked #4 among boys in 2025 with 13,355 babies given the name — firmly in the top 100, so yes, it’s a popular choice. Ten years earlier it ranked #99.
When was the name Theodore most popular?
Theodore peaked in 2025, when 13,355 American boys received the name (ranked #4 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Theodore?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 135 newborn American boys was named Theodore. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very 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.