Theo is a
given name
A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a fa ...
and a
hypocorism.
Greek origin
Many names beginning with the root "Theo-" derive from the
Ancient Greek word ''theos'' (''θεός''), which means god,
for example:
*Feminine names:
Thea
Thea may refer to:
* Thea (name), a given name
* Ancient Greek term for goddess, including an alternative spelling of Theia
* ''Thea'', the former name of the tea plant genus, now included in ''Camellia''
* Thea, a village in the municipal unit Me ...
,
Theodora,
Theodosia,
Theophania,
Theophano and
Theoxena
*Masculine names:
Theodore,
Theodoros/Theodorus,
Theodosius Theodosius ( Latinized from the Greek "Θεοδόσιος", Theodosios, "given by god") is a given name. It may take the form Teodósio, Teodosie, Teodosije etc. Theodosia is a feminine version of the name.
Emperors of ancient Rome and Byzantium
...
,
Theodotus,
Theophanes,
Theophilus,
Theodoret and
Theophylact
Germanic origin
Many other names beginning with "Theo-" do not necessarily derive from Greek, but rather the old Germanic "theud", meaning "people" or "folk".
[ These names include:
* Theobald, Theodahad, Theodard, ]Theodebert Theudebert (also Theodobert, Theudibert, Theodebert, Theodbert, Dietbert, Tibert, etc.E. W. Förstemann, ''Altdeutsches Namenbuch'', 18561168f./ref>) is a Germanic dithematic name, composed from the elements '' theo-'' "people" and ''bert'' "brig ...
, Theodemir, and Theodoric
People with the name Theo
See Theo and Théo for a current alphabetical list of all people with the first name Theo or Théo in the English Wikipedia.
Among better known people with this name are:
* Theo Adam (1926-2019), German classical bass-baritone
* Theo Albrecht (1922–2010), German entrepreneur and billionaire
* Theo Angelopoulos (1935–2012), Greek filmmaker, screenwriter and film producer
* Theo Bos (born 1983), Dutch road and track cyclist, five-time world champion
* Theo van Doesburg (1883–1931), Dutch artist, founder and leader of the De Stijl art movement
* Theo Epstein (born 1973), American baseball executive, three-time World Series champion
* Theo Fleury
Theoren Wallace "Theo" Fleury (born June 29, 1968) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, author, and motivational speaker. Fleury played for the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, New York Rangers, and Chicago Blackhawks of the ...
(born 1968), Canadian ice hockey player
* Theo Geisel (1904–1991), American author better known as Dr. Seuss
* Theo van Gogh (art dealer) (1857–1891), brother and supporter of painter Vincent van Gogh
* Theo van Gogh (film director) (1957–2004), Dutch film director, great-grandson of the above
* Theo Heemskerk (1852–1932), Dutch Prime Minister
* Theo Hernandez (born 1997), French footballer
* Theo Hutchcraft (born 1986), English singer and songwriter
* Theo Jackson (disambiguation) Theo Jackson may refer to:
* Theo Jackson (musician) (born 1986), British jazz songwriter, pianist and vocalist
* Theo Jackson (American football) (born 1998), American football player
{{hndis, Jackson, Theo ...
, multiple people
* Theo James (born 1984), English actor
* Theo Jansen (born 1948), Dutch artist and kinetic sculptor
* Theo Janssen (born 1981), Dutch footballer
* Theo Jörgensmann (born 1948), German jazz clarinetist and composer
* Théo Lefèvre
Théodore Joseph Albéric Marie "Théo" Lefèvre (17 January 1914 – 18 September 1973) was a lawyer at the Ghent court of justice. In 1946 he became deputy of the Belgian parliament for the PSC-CVP. Between 25 April 1961 and 28 July 1965 he wa ...
(1914–1973), Belgian Prime Minister
* Theo Lingen (1903–1978), German actor, film director and screenwriter
* Theo Mackeben Relief from Mackeben's tombstone
Theo Mackeben, born 5 January 1897 in Preußisch Stargard, Westpreußen, died 10 January 1953 in Berlin, was a German pianist, conductor and composer, particularly of film music.Lamb A. Theo Mackeben. In: ''The Ne ...
(1897–1953), German composer and conductor
* Theo Osterkamp (1892–1975), German flying ace in both World War I and World War II
* Theo Pelouze
Theo is a given name and a hypocorism.
Greek origin
Many names beginning with the root "Theo-" derive from the Ancient Greek word ''theos'' (''θεός''), which means god, for example:
*Feminine names: Thea, Theodora, Theodosia, Theophania, ...
(1807–1867), French chemist
* Theo de Raadt (born 1968), South African-born Canadian founder and leader of the OpenBSD and OpenSSH projects
* Theo Ratliff (born 1973), American basketball player (Theophalus)
* Theo Rossi (born 1975), American actor and producer
* Théo van Rysselberghe (1862–1926), Belgian neo-impressionist painter
* Théo Sarapo (1936–1970), French singer and actor, husband of Édith Piaf
* Theo Smyrnaeus
Theon of Smyrna ( el, Θέων ὁ Σμυρναῖος ''Theon ho Smyrnaios'', ''gen.'' Θέωνος ''Theonos''; fl. 100 CE) was a Greek philosopher and mathematician, whose works were strongly influenced by the Pythagorean school of thought. Hi ...
(fl. 100 CE), Greek philosopher and mathematician (Theon)
* Theo Sommer
Theo Sommer (10 June 1930 – 22 August 2022) was a German newspaper editor and intellectual. He began working for ''Die Zeit'' in 1958, rising to an editor-in-chief and publisher. His editorials for ''Die Zeit'' shaped the paper's social-liber ...
(1930–2022), German newspaper editor and intellectual
* Theo Timmer
Theo Timmer (born 6 March 1949) is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer from the Netherlands. He had his best season in 1981 when he won the Czechoslovakian Grand Prix and finished the season in second place, behind Ricardo Tormo. In 1972 a ...
(born 1949), Dutch motorcycle racer
* Theo Timmermans (footballer born 1926)
Theo Timmermans (4 January 1926 – 6 January 2004) was a Dutch footballer active from the mid-late 1940's. He played for 2 clubs starting at ADO '20 before joining Nîmes in 1949 and then moving back to ADO '20 in 1954. Timmermans wore the number ...
, Dutch footballer
* Theo Timmermans (born 1989), Dutch footballer
* Theo Von (born 1980), American stand-up comedian, television personality, host, and actor
* Theo Waigel (born 1939), German politician, known as the father of the Euro
* Theo Walcott (born 1989), English footballer
* Theo Zagorakis (born 1971), Greek footballer and politician
Fictional characters
* Theo, the self-proclaimed 'King of All the Land', protagonist of ''Ultra Jump Mania'' and Tari's first companion in the '' Meta Runner'' web series
* Theo Decker, main character in Donna Tartt's novel ''The Goldfinch''
* Theo Faron, the main character in P.D. James's 1992 novel ''The Children of Men
''The Children of Men'' is a dystopian novel by English writer P. D. James, published in 1992. Set in England in 2021, it centres on the results of mass infertility. James describes a United Kingdom that is steadily depopulating and focuses ...
'' and of the 2006 film ''Children of Men
''Children of Men'' is a 2006 dystopian action thriller film co-written and directed by Alfonso Cuarón. The screenplay, based on P. D. James' 1992 novel '' The Children of Men'', was credited to five writers, with Clive Owen making uncredi ...
'' based on the novel
* Theo Fobius, in the webcomic ''Schlock Mercenary''
* Theo Kojak, lead character of the '' Kojak'' television series
* Theo Raeken, a fictional character in the 2011-2017 TV series '' Teen Wolf''
* Theo Saville, one of the main characters on the television series '' A Million Little Things'', son of Eddie and Katherine
See also
* Teo (disambiguation) __NOTOC__
Teo or TEO may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Teo'' (album), a 1957 album by Teo Macero and the Prestige Jazz Quartet
* "Teo", a song by Miles Davis from his 1961 album ''Someday My Prince Will Come''
* "Teo", a song by Thelonious ...
* THEO (Testing the Habitability of Enceladus's Ocean), a spacecraft mission to Enceladus
References
{{given name
Masculine given names
Dutch masculine given names
Hypocorisms
English masculine given names