Theodore is a masculine

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 ...

. It comes from the Ancient Greek name Θεόδωρος (''Theódoros''), meaning "gift of God(s)" ( from the

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic pe ...

words

θεός A deity or god is a supernatural being who is considered divine or sacred. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines deity as a god or goddess, or anything revered as divine. C. Scott Littleton defines a deity as "a being with powers greater ...

, (''theós'') "God/Gods" and δῶρον (''dṓron'') "gift".MFnames.com – Origin and Meaning of Theodore
/ref> The name was borne by several figures in ancient Greece, such as Theodorus of Samos and Theodorus of Byzantium, but gained popularity due to the rise of

Christendom Christendom historically refers to the Christian states, Christian-majority countries and the countries in which Christianity dominates, prevails,SeMerriam-Webster.com : dictionary, "Christendom"/ref> or is culturally or historically intertwin ...

. In any form, it means "God(s)-given", or "gift of God/Gods", as do the given names

Jonathan Jonathan may refer to: *Jonathan (name), a masculine given name Media * ''Jonathan'' (1970 film), a German film directed by Hans W. Geißendörfer * ''Jonathan'' (2016 film), a German film directed by Piotr J. Lewandowski * ''Jonathan'' (2018 ...

Nathaniel , nickname = {{Plainlist, * Nat * Nate , footnotes = Nathaniel is an English variant of the biblical Greek name Nathanael. People with the name Nathaniel * Nathaniel Archibald (1952–2018), American basketball player * Nate ...

Matthew Matthew may refer to: * Matthew (given name) * Matthew (surname) * ''Matthew'' (ship), the replica of the ship sailed by John Cabot in 1497 * ''Matthew'' (album), a 2000 album by rapper Kool Keith * Matthew (elm cultivar), a cultivar of the Chi ...

, Ataullah,

Devadatta Devadatta was by tradition a Buddhist monk, cousin and brother-in-law of Gautama Siddhārtha. The accounts of his life vary greatly, but he is generally seen as an evil and divisive figure in Buddhism, who led a breakaway group in the ea ...

, Dosetai,

Bogdan Bogdan or Bohdan (Cyrillic: Богдан) is a Slavic masculine name that appears in all Slavic countries as well as Romania and Moldova. It is derived from the Slavic words ''Bog/Boh'' (Cyrillic: Бог), meaning "god", and ''dan'' (Cyrillic: ...

, and Adeodatus. The feminine form of Theodore is Theodora. The names Dorothy and

Godiva Lady Godiva (; died between 1066 and 1086), in Old English , was a late Anglo-Saxon noblewoman who is relatively well documented as the wife of Leofric, Earl of Mercia, and a patron of various churches and monasteries. Today, she is mainly reme ...

also mean "gift of God(s)". In German, Theodore is the feminine form and the masculine form is

Theodor Theodor is a masculine given name. It is a German form of Theodore. It is also a variant of Teodor. List of people with the given name Theodor * Theodor Adorno, (1903–1969), German philosopher * Theodor Aman, Romanian painter * Theodor Blueger, ...

. Although similar to, and probably influenced by it, the Germanic name

Theodoric Theodoric is a Germanic given name. First attested as a Gothic name in the 5th century, it became widespread in the Germanic-speaking world, not least due to its most famous bearer, Theodoric the Great, king of the Ostrogoths. Overview The name ...

(and variants Theodoricus, Dietrich, Thierry, and others) has a separate origin.

Variants

Diminutives

Hypocorisms, calling names, or nicknames derived from Theodore can be:

People named Theodore

Ancient world

:''Ordered chronologically'' *

Theodore Stratelates Theodore Stratelates ( grc-gre, Ἅγιος Θεόδωρος ὁ Στρατηλάτης (); cop, ⲡⲓⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ Ⲑⲉⲟⲇⲱⲣⲟⲥ), also known as Theodore of Heraclea ( grc-gre, Θεόδωρος Ἡρακλείας; AD 281–319) ...

(died 319), Byzantine martyr and Warrior Saint *

Theodore of Mopsuestia Theodore of Mopsuestia (c. 350 – 428) was a Christian theologian, and Bishop of Mopsuestia (as Theodore II) from 392 to 428 AD. He is also known as Theodore of Antioch, from the place of his birth and presbyterate. He is the best know ...

(c. 350 – 428), Byzantine bishop *

Theodore of Enaton Theodore of Enaton was an Egyptian Christian monk who lived in the monastery of Enaton in Lower Egypt during the 4th century. He was one of the Desert Fathers. Theodore of Enaton was a disciple of Abba Amoun and was also a companion of Abba Or. ...

, 5th-century Syrian Christian monk * Theodore of Pherme, 4th-century Egyptian Christian monk *

Theodore of Tarsus Theodore of Tarsus ( gr, Θεόδωρος Ταρσοῦ; 60219 September 690) was Archbishop of Canterbury from 668 to 690. Theodore grew up in Tarsus, but fled to Constantinople after the Persian Empire conquered Tarsus and other cities. Afte ...

(602–690), Archbishop of Canterbury * Theodore (brother of Heraclius) (), Byzantine general *

Theodore Trithyrius Theodore Trithyrius ( el, Θεόδωρος Τριθύριος; died 636), commonly known by his title as Theodore the Sacellarius, was a Byzantine treasurer of the state (''sacellarius'') and a military commander during the last years of the reig ...

(died 636), Byzantine treasurer and military commander *

Pope Theodore I Pope Theodore I ( la, Theodorus I; died 14 May 649) was the bishop of Rome from 24 November 642 to his death. His pontificate was dominated by the struggle with Monothelitism. Early career According to the ''Liber Pontificalis'', Theodore was a ...

, Pope from 642 to 649 *

Theodore I Calliopas Theodore Calliopas ( la, Theodorus Calliopus or ''Theodorus Calliopas''; el, Θεόδωρος Καλλιοπάς, Theódōros Kalliopás) was Exarch of Ravenna from 643 to 645 and again from 653 to shorty before 666. Nothing is known of Theodore' ...

, Exarch of Ravenna (643 – c. 645 and 653 – before 666) *

Theodore Abu Qurrah Theodore Abū Qurrah ( gr, Θεόδωρος Ἀβουκάρας, Theodoros Aboukaras; ar, تواضروس أبو قرة, Tawadrūs Abū Qurrah; c. 750, – c. 825) was a 9th-century Melkite bishop and theologian who lived in the early Islamic period ...

(c. 750 – c. 823), Christian Arab theologian *

Theodore the Studite Theodore the Studite ( grc-x-medieval, Θεόδωρος ό Στουδίτης; 759–826), also known as Theodorus Studita and Saint Theodore of Stoudios/Studium, was a Byzantine Greek monk and abbot of the Stoudios Monastery in Constantinople. ...

(759–826), Byzantine Greek monk and abbot *

Pope Theodore II Pope Theodore II ( la, Theodorus II; 840 – December 897) was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States for twenty days in December 897. His short reign occurred during a period of partisan strife in the Catholic Church, which was enta ...

(840–897), Pope in 897 * Theodore Prodromos (c. 1100 – c. 1165), Byzantine writer and poet * Theodore I Laskaris (c. 1174 – c. 1222), first Emperor of Nicaea *

Theodore Komnenos Doukas Theodore Komnenos Doukas ( el, Θεόδωρος Κομνηνὸς Δούκας, ''Theodōros Komnēnos Doukas'', Latinized as Theodore Comnenus Ducas, died 1253) was ruler of Epirus and Thessaly from 1215 to 1230 and of Thessalonica and most ...

(died c. 1253), Emperor of Thessalonica * Theodore II Laskaris (c. 1222 – 1258), Emperor of Nicaea *

Theodore Metochites Theodore Metochites ( el, Θεόδωρος Μετοχίτης; 1270–1332) was a Byzantine Greek statesman, author, gentleman philosopher, and patron of the arts. From c. 1305 to 1328 he held the position of personal adviser ('' mesazōn'') to e ...

(1270–1332), Byzantine statesman, author and philosopher * Theodore Svetoslav of Bulgaria, Tsar of Bulgaria from 1300 to 1322 * Theodore I Palaiologos (c. 1355 – 1407), Byzantine despot * Theodore II Palaiologos (c. 1396 – 1448), Byzantine despot

Modern world

: ''Ordered by last name, where available; otherwise chronologically'' * Theodore I of Corsica (1694–1756), German adventurer who was briefly King of Corsica * Pope Theodoros II of Alexandria (born 1952), leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria * Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria (born 1954), Eastern Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria and all Africa * Theodore Bent (1852-1897), British archaeologist and explorer in the Levant, Africa, and Southern Arabia *

Theodore Beza Theodore Beza ( la, Theodorus Beza; french: Théodore de Bèze or ''de Besze''; June 24, 1519 – October 13, 1605) was a French Calvinist Protestant theologian, reformer and scholar who played an important role in the Protestant Reformation ...

(1519–1605), French Protestant theologian and scholar *

Theodore Bibliander Theodore (or Theodorus) Bibliander (german: Theodor Buchmann; 1509 in Bischofszell – 26 September 1564 in Zurich) was a Swiss orientalist, publisher, Protestant reformer and linguist. Born Theodor Buchmann (''Bibliander'' is a Greek translat ...

(1509–1564), Swiss Orientalist, publisher and linguist * Theodore Bikel (1924–2015), Austrian-American actor, folksinger, composer and unionist *

Teddy Bridgewater Theodore Edmond Bridgewater Jr. (born November 10, 1992) is an American football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). Born and raised in Miami, Florida, he graduated from Miami Northwestern high school ...

(born 1992), American football player * Theodore Bruback (1851–1904), American businessman * Theodore Bundy (1946-1989), prolific American serial killer, rapist, kidnapper, and necrophile *

Theodore Cantor Theodore Edward (Theodor Edvard) Cantor (1809–1860) was a Danish physician, zoologist and botanist. Born to a Danish Jewish family, his mother was a sister of Nathaniel Wallich. Cantor worked for the British East India Company, and made natur ...

(1809–1860), Danish physician, zoologist and botanist * Theodore Conrad (1910–1994), American architect, preservationist and a leading architectural model maker * Theodore John Conrad (1949–2021), American fugitive * Theodore Dreiser (1871–1945), American novelist *

Theodore Freeman Theodore Cordy "Ted" Freeman (February 18, 1930 – October 31, 1964), was an American aeronautical engineer, U.S. Air Force officer, test pilot, and NASA astronaut. Selected in the third group of NASA astronauts in 1963, he was killed a ye ...

(1930–1964), American aeronautical engineer, test pilot and NASA astronaut *

Theodore Frelinghuysen Theodore Frelinghuysen (March 28, 1787April 12, 1862) was an American politician who represented New Jersey in the United States Senate. He was the Whig vice presidential nominee in the election of 1844, running on a ticket with Henry Clay. Bo ...

(1787–1862), American politician * Theodore Fyfe (1875–1945), Scottish architect * Théodore Géricault (1791-1824), French Romantic painter *

Theodore Gill Theodore Nicholas Gill (March 21, 1837 – September 25, 1914) was an American ichthyologist, mammalogist, malacologist and librarian. Career Born and educated in New York City under private tutors, Gill early showed interest in natural his ...

(1837–1914), American zoologist and librarian * Theodore Hall (1925–1999), American physicist and atomic spy for the Soviet Union *

Theodore Kaczynski Theodore John Kaczynski ( ; born May 22, 1942), also known as the Unabomber (), is an American domestic terrorist and former mathematics professor. Between 1978 and 1995, Kaczynski killed three people and injured 23 others in a nationwide ...

(born 1942), American letter bomber *

Theodore von Kármán Theodore von Kármán ( hu, ( szőllőskislaki) Kármán Tódor ; born Tivadar Mihály Kármán; 11 May 18816 May 1963) was a Hungarian-American mathematician, aerospace engineer, and physicist who was active primarily in the fields of aeronaut ...

(1881–1963), Hungarian-American mathematician, aerospace engineer and physicist * Theodore Katsanevas (1947–2021), Greek academic and politician *

Theodoros Kolokotronis Theodoros Kolokotronis ( el, Θεόδωρος Κολοκοτρώνης; 3 April 1770 – 4 February 1843) was a Greek general and the pre-eminent leader of the Greek War of Independence (1821–1829) against the Ottoman Empire. Kolokotronis's g ...

(1770-1843), Greek General and pre-eminent leader of the Greek War of Independence (1821-1829) against the Ottoman Empire. * Theodore Levitt (1925–2006), American economist * Theodore Long (born 1947), American professional wrestling personality * Theodore Lyman (1874–1954), American physicist and spectroscopist * Theodore Maiman (1927–2007), American engineer and physicist, inventor of the laser * Theodore Edgar McCarrick (born 1930), American Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church *

Ted Nugent Theodore Anthony Nugent (; born December 13, 1948) is an American rock musician and activist. He initially gained fame as the lead guitarist and occasional lead vocalist of The Amboy Dukes, a band formed in 1963 that played psychedelic rock ...

(born 1948), American rock musician and gun advocate * Theodore Odza (1915–1998), American visual artist *

Theodore Braybrooke Panabokke Theodore Braybrooke Panabokke (11 May 1909 – 1989) was Sri Lankan politician, lawyer and diplomat. He was a former Parliamentary Secretary of Agriculture, Member of Parliament and Ceylon's High Commissioner to India. He was the Chancellor ...

(1909-1989), Sri Lankan Sinhala politician, lawyer, and diplomat *

Theodore Parker Theodore Parker (August 24, 1810 – May 10, 1860) was an American transcendentalist and reforming minister of the Unitarian church. A reformer and abolitionist, his words and popular quotations would later inspire speeches by Abraham Linco ...

(1810–1860), American Transcendentalist and reforming minister of the Unitarian church * Theodore Duncan Perera, Sri Lankan Sinhala civil servant * Theodore William Richards (1868–1928), American physical chemist * Theodore Roberts (1861–1928), American film and stage actor * Theodore Robinson (1852–1896), American Impressionist painter * Theodore Roethke (1908–1963), American poet * Theodore Romzha (1911–1947), Ukrainian Ruthenian Catholic bishop *

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

(1858–1919), 26th President of the United States *

Theodore Roosevelt Sr. Theodore Roosevelt Sr. (September 22, 1831 – February 9, 1878) was an American businessman and philanthropist from the Roosevelt family. Roosevelt was also the father of President Theodore Roosevelt and the paternal grandfather of First Lady E ...

(1831-1878), American businessman and philanthropist * Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (1887–1944), American government, business and military leader * Theodore Roosevelt III (1914-2001), American banker *

Theodore Roosevelt IV Theodore Roosevelt V ( ) (born November 27, 1942), also called Theodore IV, is an American investment banker and managing director at Barclays Investment Bank. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Economic Club of New York, an ...

or Theodore Roosevelt V (born 1945), American investment banker * Theodore Roszak (scholar) (1933–2011), American historian, sociologist and novelist * Ted Sampley (1946–2009), American POW/MIA activist * Theodore Schultz (1902–1998), American economist *

Theodore Shapiro Theodore Michael Shapiro (born September 29, 1971) is an American composer best known for his film scores. He is a frequent collaborator of directors Ben Stiller, Paul Feig, Jay Roach, Karyn Kusama, and Rawson Marshall Thurber, and won th ...

(born 1971), American film composer * Theodore Sorensen (1928–2010), American lawyer, writer, and presidential adviser *

Ted Stevens Theodore Fulton Stevens Sr. (November 18, 1923 – August 9, 2010) was an American politician and lawyer who served as a U.S. Senator from Alaska from 1968 to 2009. He was the longest-serving Republican Senator in history at the time he left ...

, American former Senator from Alaska *

Theodore Sturgeon Theodore Sturgeon (; born Edward Hamilton Waldo, February 26, 1918 – May 8, 1985) was an American fiction author of primarily fantasy, science fiction and horror, as well as a critic. He wrote approximately 400 reviews and more than 120 sh ...

(1918–1985), American science fiction author * Theodore Tannenwald Jr. (1916–1999), judge of the United States Tax Court *

Theodore Thomas (conductor) Theodore Thomas (October 11, 1835January 4, 1905) was a German-American violinist, conductor, and orchestrator of German birth. He is considered the first renowned American orchestral conductor and was the founder and first music director of th ...

(1835–1905), American violinist and conductor * Theodore Van Kirk (1921–2014), American navigator of the Enola Gay *

Ted Williams Theodore Samuel Williams (August 30, 1918 – July 5, 2002) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 19-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, primarily as a left fielder, for the Boston Red Sox from 193 ...

(1918–2002), American baseball player *

Teddy Wilson Theodore Shaw Wilson (November 24, 1912 – July 31, 1986) was an American jazz pianist. Described by critic Scott Yanow as "the definitive swing pianist", Wilson had a sophisticated, elegant style. His work was featured on the records of many ...

(1912–1986), American jazz pianist * Theodore H. Winters Jr. (1913–2008), American flying ace during World War II * Guy Theodore Sebastian, Malaysian-Australian singer * Theodore Taylor (1921-2006), American writer * Tewodros II Ge'ez (ዳግማዊ ቴዎድሮስ) (1818–1868), Emperor of Ethiopia from 1855 until his death in 1868

References