Boys' name · peaked in 2025
Theodore name popularity since 1925
269,916 babies born in the US from 1925 to 2025 were named Theodore. Half of them were born in 1983 or earlier, so the typical Theodore is about 43 years old in 2026. Theodore peaked in 2025 as the #4 name for boys, and it ranked #4 in 2025.
Key facts
- US babies since 1925
- 269,916
- Named Theodore, 1925–2025
- In 2025
- #4
- for boys in 2025 (13,355 babies)
- Girls / boys
- 99.7% boys
- 771 girls · 269,145 boys
- Most popular in
- District of Columbia
- 1.93× its national share
Peak year is the year Theodore made up the largest share of US boys, in records going back to 1880. Typical age is based on births from 1925 on, not on who is living today.
Theodore births per year, 1925–2025
2025 was the biggest year for Theodore both by count and as a share of all babies.
- Fastest rise: Between 2012 and 2017, Theodore became 3.1× more common, from 1 in 975 baby boys to 1 in 310.
Shaded on the chart. This compares Theodore's share of all US boys five years apart, counting only years with at least 100 babies named Theodore.
Decade by decade
Babies named Theodore in each decade, and its rank among boys' names in the middle year of the decade (1935, 1945 … 2025).
| Decade | Girls | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1925–29 | 111 | 15,298 | – |
| 1930s | 131 | 24,957 | #79 |
| 1940s | 68 | 26,249 | #101 |
| 1950s | 94 | 29,050 | #120 |
| 1960s | 101 | 21,288 | #143 |
| 1970s | 91 | 13,567 | #189 |
| 1980s | 88 | 11,958 | #201 |
| 1990s | 0 | 10,113 | #284 |
| 2000s | 0 | 10,556 | #299 |
| 2010s | 19 | 40,530 | #99 |
| 2020–25 | 68 | 65,579 | #4 |
Ranks count every name given to at least 5 boys that year, so they can go past 1,000.
Generation fingerprint
37.5% of babies named Theodore from 1925 to 2025 were born in the Gen Alpha years (2013–2025). The full split by generation:
Where Theodore is most popular
The index compares Theodore's share of babies in each state with its share nationwide, 1925–2025 (1.50× = 50% more common). States with at least 300 babies named Theodore.
| State | Index | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 1.93× | 2,411 |
| Alaska | 1.76× | 709 |
| New Hampshire | 1.74× | 1,480 |
| Vermont | 1.69× | 762 |
| Connecticut | 1.68× | 4,939 |
Names with a similar story
Of the other 499 names on this site, these six had the share of babies closest in shape to Theodore's from 1925 to 2025, however common each one got. Each line is scaled to its own high; the dashed line is Theodore.
Names from the same era
Other common names that peaked within two years of Theodore (2025).
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration national and state baby-name data, which covers names given to at least 5 babies of one sex in a year. About the data