Theodore
Rare enough that most Poles have never met one, but climbing: more boys were given it last year than in years past. It's the English spelling of Teodor, from the Greek for "gift of god".
Theodore Pronunciation
What Theodore means
Where Theodore comes from and what it has meant to the people who carry it.
Theodore comes from the Greek Theodoros, a joining of theos, god, and doron, gift. The first people to use it were setting down a small word of thanks. In English the name softened into Teddy and Ted for everyday use, with Theodore held back for the paperwork.
English had a president to point to. Theodore Roosevelt carried the name into the twentieth century, and the teddy bear borrowed his nickname. Writers took to it as well. A Greek word travels far.
In Poland the same root surfaces as Teodor, with Teodora for a daughter. His imieniny fall most often on 19 September, a line on the school calendar he learns to expect. The meaning stays fixed under every spelling: gift of God.
How many people are named Theodore
1 in 66707 men in Poland is named Theodore. 323 people carry it in the 2025 register: rank #1680 among male names.
Theodore's popularity over time
21 boys were given the name in 2025, ranking #505 among newborns. It has been climbing since 2012.
Where parents choose Theodore
Theodore is most popular in Masovian, 88% above the national average (21 boys born 2019–2025), followed by Silesian (+68%) and Lower Silesian (+42%). It is least common in Łódź and Lesser Poland, 50% and 44% below average respectively.
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Masovian
+88%1 in 16,870 babies
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Silesian
+68%1 in 18,965 babies
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Lower Silesian
+42%1 in 22,448 babies
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Łódź
−50%1 in 63,359 babies
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Lesser Poland
−44%1 in 56,729 babies
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West Pomeranian
−25%1 in 42,213 babies
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Masovian+88% 21 born1 in 16,870 babies+88%
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Silesian+68% 12 born1 in 18,965 babies+68%
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Lower Silesian+42% 7 born1 in 22,448 babies+42%
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Lublin+24% 4 born1 in 25,669 babies+24%
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Greater Poland+18% 8 born1 in 26,905 babies+18%
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Kuyavian-Pomeranian+16% 4 born1 in 27,345 babies+16%
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Pomeranian−14% 4 born1 in 36,830 babies−14%
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West Pomeranian−25% 2 born1 in 42,213 babies−25%
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Lesser Poland−44% 4 born1 in 56,729 babies−44%
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Łódź−50% 2 born1 in 63,359 babies−50%
Theodore as a middle name
Theodore is a first name for 323 men in Poland and a middle name for another 95, a 77/23 split. In the men's middle-name ranking it sits 736th, between Salvatore (95) and Valentino (95).
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#734 Paulin95
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#735 Salvatore95
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#736 Theodore95
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#737 Valentino95
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#738 Wenanty95