Teodor
A name on a sharp upswing: more boys got it last year than in any year before, and it now sits just inside Poland's top 400. From Greek, it means "gift of god," and it goes only to boys.
Teodor Pronunciation
Teodor is pronounced te-O-dor (/tɛˈɔdɔr/).
What Teodor means
Where Teodor comes from and what it has meant to the people who carry it.
The name Teodor comes from the Greek Theodoros, built from theos, meaning god, and doron, meaning gift. Put together, the parts read as gift of god, in Polish dar boga. The variant Theodor, spelled with an h, travels through much of Europe, while Polish keeps the plainer form.
Poland has handed the name to real people. Teodor Axentowicz, born in 1859, painted portraits and Hutsul scenes and later led the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków. His first name stated plainly what the Greek roots had meant.
A child called Teodor meets the name early, on a class register between the Tomeks and the Wojteks. Later there is the imieniny to mark. Polish calendars set a name-day for Teodor in November, a day for cake and a few good wishes. At home the name shrinks to Teoś. Whatever the years add, the two Greek roots stay put: god, and gift.
How many people are named Teodor
1 in 2338 men in Poland is named Teodor. 9,129 people carry it in the 2025 register: rank #374 among male names.
Teodor's popularity over time
1,221 boys were given the name in 2025, ranking #58 among newborns. It has been climbing since 2000.
Where Teodor is most popular
Teodor is most popular in Pomeranian, 40% above the national average (472 boys born 2019–2025), followed by Greater Poland (+20%) and Masovian (+17%). It is least common in Świętokrzyskie and Lublin, 49% and 45% below average respectively.
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Pomeranian472 boys born+40%
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Greater Poland591 boys born+20%
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Masovian949 boys born+17%
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Lower Silesian409 boys born+14%
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Lesser Poland545 boys born+5%
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Silesian542 boys born+4%
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Lubusz106 boys born−6%
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West Pomeranian177 boys born−8%
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Kuyavian-Pomeranian226 boys born−9%
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Warmian-Masurian137 boys born−16%
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Łódź230 boys born−20%
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Opole74 boys born−30%
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Subcarpathian186 boys born−32%
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Podlaskie90 boys born−40%
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Lublin129 boys born−45%
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Świętokrzyskie65 boys born−49%
Teodor as a middle name
Teodor is a first name for 9,129 men in Poland and a middle name for another 8,218, a 53/47 split — almost evenly. In the men's middle-name ranking it sits 107th, between Walenty (9,384) and Eryk (8,159).
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105
9,867Miłosz
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106
9,384Walenty
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1078,218Teodor
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108
8,159Eryk
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109
8,103Nikodem
When Teodor celebrates name day
Teodor appears 6 times in the Polish name day calendar. The main date is 7 February.