The first name Theodor
A boy’s name from Latin.
3 syllables Male
Meaning and origin
Latin origin
A male given name from Latin [in turn from Ancient Greek], variant of Theodore.
A form of Theodore.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 63 boys were named Theodor, making it the 606th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2021, with 76 births (#514).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Theodor with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Theodor at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 76 boys born in the United States were named Theodor, the 2,004th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2022, when 88 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Famous people named Theodor
165 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Theodor MommsenGerman classical scholar and historian (1817–1903)
- Theodor HerzlAustro-Hungarian journalist, writer, and father of modern political Zionism (1860–1904)
- Theodor FontaneGerman novelist and poet (1819–1898)
- Theodor HeussGerman journalist and politician (1884-1963)
- Theodor Gebre SelassieCzech footballer (born 1986)
- Theodor NöldekeGerman orientalist and scholar (1836–1930)
- Theodor EscherichAustrian doctor (1857–1911)
- Theodor Stolojan54th Prime Minister of Romania (1991-1992)
- Karl Theodor, Duke in BavariaDuke in Bavaria (1839–1909)
- Theodor BusseGerman general of infantry in the Second World War (1897-1986)
- Theodor BoveriGerman geneticist (1862-1915)
- Theodor von OppolzerAustrian astronomer and mathematician (1841-1886)
More Latin boys’ names
Questions
- What is the origin of the name Theodor?
- Theodor comes from Latin.
- How popular is the name Theodor?
- In 2025, 63 boys born in England and Wales were named Theodor, ranking 606th. Its peak was 2021, with 76 births.
- Is Theodor a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 2,216 US babies named Theodor since 1880 were boys.
- When was Theodor most popular?
- 2022 in the United States, when 88 babies were named Theodor, its highest rank at 1,836th.
- What name is Theodor a form of?
- Theodor is a form of Theodore.