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 f ...

and a

hypocorism A hypocorism ( or ; from Ancient Greek ; sometimes also ''hypocoristic''), or pet name, is a name used to show affection for a person. It may be a diminutive form of a person's name, such as ''Izzy'' for Isabel or ''Bob (given name), Bob'' fo ...

Greek origin

Many names beginning with the root ''Theo-'' derive from the

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

word (), which means God, for example: *Feminine names: Thea, 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 Theophilus is a male given name with a range of alternative spellings. Its origin is the Greek word Θεόφιλος from θεός (''theós'', "God") and φιλία (''philía'', "love or affection") can be translated as "Love of God" or "Friend ...

Theodoret Theodoret of Cyrus or Cyrrhus (; AD 393 – 458/466) was an influential theologian of the School of Antioch, biblical commentator, and Christian bishop of Cyrrhus (423–457). He played a pivotal role in several 5th-century Byzantine ...

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 Theobald is a Germanic dithematic name, composed from the elements '' theod-'' "people" and ''bald'' "bold". The name arrived in England with the Normans. The name occurs in many spelling variations, including Theudebald, Diepold, Theobalt, Ty ...

Theodahad Theodahad, also known as Thiudahad (; 480 – December 536), initially ruled the Ostrogothic Kingdom jointly with his cousin Amalasuintha. She elevated him to co-monarch in late 534, following the death of her son, King Athalaric, likely see ...

Theodard :''Theodard was also the murdered bishop Theodard of Maastricht.'' Saint Theodard () (ca. 840–1 May, ca. 893) was an archbishop of Narbonne. He may have been born to the nobility and served as a subdeacon at a church council at Toulouse. ...

, Theodebert,

Theodemir Theodemir, Theodemar, Theudemer or Theudimer was a Germanic name common among the various Germanic peoples of early medieval Europe. According to Smaragdus of Saint-Mihiel (9th century), the form ''Theudemar'' is Frankish and ''Theudemir'' is ...

, and

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 w ...

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 Theo Adam (1 August 1926 – 10 January 2019) was a German operatic bass-baritone and bass singer who had an international career in opera, concert and recital from 1949. He was a member of the Staatsoper Dresden for his entire career, and s ...

(1926–2019), German classical bass-baritone *

Theo Albrecht Theodor Paul Albrecht (; 28 March 1922 – 24 July 2010) was a German entrepreneur. He established the discount supermarket chain Aldi with his brother Karl Albrecht. In 2010, Theo was ranked by ''Forbes'' as the 31st richest person in the wo ...

(1922–2010), German entrepreneur and billionaire *

Theo Angelopoulos Theodoros "Theo" Angelopoulos (; (27 April 1935 – 24 January 2012) was a Greek filmmaker, screenwriter and film producer. He dominated the Greek art film industry from 1975 on, and Angelopoulos was one of the most influential and widely respect ...

(1935–2012), Greek filmmaker, screenwriter and film producer *

Theo Avgerinos Theo Avgerinos (born September 22, 1978, in New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harb ...

(born 1978), American film director *

Theo Benedet Theo Benedet (born October 12, 2001) is a Canadian professional football offensive tackle for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played U Sports football for the UBC Thunderbirds. Early life Benedet was born in Toront ...

(born 2001), Canadian American football player *

Theo Bos Theo Bos (born 22 August 1983) is a Dutch former professional road and track cyclist. An Olympic silver medalist and five-time world champion, he is the brother of Olympic medalist in speed skating Jan Bos. On 29 November 2021, he announced ...

(born 1983), Dutch road and track cyclist, five-time world champion *

Theo van Doesburg Theo van Doesburg (; born Christian Emil Marie Küpper; 30 August 1883 – 7 March 1931) was a Dutch painter, writer, poet and architect. He is best known as the founder and leader of De Stijl. He married three times. Personal life Theo van Do ...

(1883–1931), Dutch artist, founder and leader of the De Stijl art movement *

Theo Epstein Theo Nathaniel Epstein (born December 29, 1973) is an American Major League Baseball executive who is, since 2024, the senior adviser and part-owner of Fenway Sports Group, which owns the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball and Liverpool FC o ...

(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 Theodor Seuss Geisel ( ;"Seuss"
'' Theo van Gogh (art dealer) Theodorus van Gogh (; 1 May 1857 – 25 January 1891) was a Dutch art dealer and the younger brother of Vincent van Gogh. His support of his older brother's artistic ambitions and well-being allowed Vincent to devote himself entirely to paintin ...

(1857–1891), brother and supporter of painter

Vincent van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. In just over a decade, he created approximately 2,100 artworks ...

Theo van Gogh (film director) Theodoor "Theo" van Gogh (; 23 July 1957 – 2 November 2004) was a Dutch film director. He directed ''Submission (2004 film), Submission: Part 1'', a short film written by Somalia, Somali writer and politician Ayaan Hirsi Ali, which criticis ...

(1957–2004), Dutch film director, great-grandson of the above * Theo Grant (born 2000), Canadian football player * Theo Heemskerk (1852–1932), Dutch Prime Minister *

Théo Hernandez Théo Bernard François Hernandez (; born 6 October 1997) is a French professional Association football, footballer who plays as a left-back for Serie A club AC Milan and the France national football team, France national team. He is known for ...

(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 Theodore Peter James Kinnaird Taptiklis (born 16 December 1984) is an English actor. He gained recognition for playing Tobias Eaton in '' The Divergent Series'' film trilogy (2014–2016). He has starred in the horror films '' Underworld: Awak ...

(born 1984), English actor *

Theo Jansen Theodorus Gerardus Jozef Jansen (; born 14 March 1948) is a Dutch artist. In 1990, he began building large mechanisms out of PVC that are able to move on their own and, collectively, are titled ''Strandbeest'' (Dutch for 'beach beast'). The ki ...

(born 1948), Dutch artist and kinetic sculptor *

Theo Janssen Theo Janssen (born 27 July 1981) is a Dutch assistant coach at SBV Vitesse, Vitesse and former association football, footballer who played as a midfielder for various clubs in the Netherlands, including SBV Vitesse, Vitesse, FC Twente, Twente an ...

(born 1981), Dutch footballer * Theo Johnson (born 2001), Canadian American football player *

Theo Jörgensmann Theodor Franz Jörgensmann (born 29 September 1948) is a German jazz clarinetist. Activities Theo Jörgensmann belongs to the second generation of European free jazz musicians. He was part of the clarinet renaissance in the jazz and improvisat ...

(born 1948), German jazz clarinetist and composer * Théo Lefèvre (1914–1973), Belgian Prime Minister *

Theo Lingen Theo Lingen (; 10 June 1903 – 10 November 1978), born Franz Theodor Schmitz, was a German actor, film director and screenwriter. He appeared in more than 230 films between 1929 and 1978, and directed 21 films between 1936 and 1960. Life and c ...

(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: ''T ...

(1897–1953), German composer and conductor * Theo Melin Öhrström, Swedish-American football player * Theo Osterkamp (1892–1975), German flying ace in both World War I and World War II * Theo Pabst (1905–1979), German architect * Theo Pelouze (1807–1867), French chemist * Theo de Raadt (born 1968), South African-born Canadian founder and leader of the OpenBSD and OpenSSH projects *

Theo Ratliff Theophalus Curtis Ratliff (born April 17, 1973) is an American former professional basketball player who played 16 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Born in Alabama, Ratliff played for and graduated from the University of Wyo ...

(born 1973), American basketball player (Theophalus) *

Theo Rossi John Theodore Rossi (born June 4, 1975) is an American actor and producer. He portrayed Juan Carlos "Juice" Ortiz on the FX series '' Sons of Anarchy'' (2008–2014) and Hernan "Shades" Alvarez in '' Luke Cage'' (2016–2018). In 2024, he por ...

(born 1975), American actor and producer *

Théo van Rysselberghe Théophile "Théo" van Rysselberghe (23 November 1862 – 13 December 1926) was a Belgian Neo-impressionism, neo-impressionist Painting, painter, who played a pivotal role in the European art scene at the turn of the twentieth century. Bi ...

(1862–1926), Belgian neo-impressionist painter * Théo Sarapo (1936–1970), French singer and actor, husband of

Édith Piaf Édith Giovanna Gassion (19 December 1915 – 10 October 1963), known as Édith Piaf (), was a French singer and lyricist best known for performing songs in the cabaret and modern chanson genres. She is widely regarded as France's greatest popu ...

* Theo Smyrnaeus (fl. 100 CE), Greek philosopher and mathematician (Theon) * Theo Sommer (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 197 ...

(born 1949), Dutch motorcycle racer *

Theo Timmermans (footballer born 1926) Theodorus Ludovicus Timmermans (4 January 1926 – 6 January 2004) was a Dutch footballer who played as a forward from the mid-late 1940s. He played for two clubs starting at ADO '20 before joining Nîmes Nîmes ( , ; ; Latin: ''Nemausus ...

, Dutch footballer * Theo Timmermans (born 1989), Dutch footballer * Theo Von (born 1980), American stand-up comedian, television personality, host, and actor *

Theo Waigel Theodor Waigel (born 22 April 1939) is a German politician of the Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU). He represented Neu-Ulm in the Bundestag from 1976 to 2002. Waigel is a lawyer, and earned a doctorate in 1967. He was a member of the Bu ...

(born 1939), German politician, known as the father of the Euro *

Theo Walcott Theo James Walcott (born 16 March 1989) is an English former professional footballer who played as a forward. He represented England at the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2012 and won 47 caps, scoring eight goals. Walcott currently appears as a cl ...

(born 1989), English footballer * Theo Zagorakis (born 1971), Greek footballer and politician * Theo (born 2005), formerly known as Theoz, Swedish influencer and singer

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 ''Meta Runner'' is an Australian independent-animated eSports action drama web series created by Kevin and Luke Lerdwichagul. Produced by Glitch Productions, with funding support from Screen Australia, Crunchyroll, AMD, and Epic Games. The ...

'' 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 directed and co-written 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 uncredite ...

'' based on the novel * Theo, a non-playable Mii opponent in the ''

Wii The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America, and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, f ...

'' series * Theo Fobius, in the webcomic ''Schlock Mercenary'' * Theo Huxtable, in the sitcom ''The Cosby Show'' * Theo, a character in the animated television series '' Looped'' * Theo Kojak, lead character of the ''

Kojak ''Kojak'' is an American Action film, action Crime film, crime Drama (film and television), drama television series starring Telly Savalas as the title character, New York City Police Department Detective Lieutenant Theophilus "Theo" Kojak. Tak ...

'' television series * Theo Raeken, a fictional character in the 2011-2017 TV series ''

Teen Wolf ''Teen Wolf'' is a 1985 American coming-of-age comedy film directed by Rod Daniel and written by Jeph Loeb and Matthew Weisman. Michael J. Fox stars as the title character, a high school student whose ordinary life is changed when he discover ...

'' * Theo Saville, one of the main characters on the television series ''

A Million Little Things ''A Million Little Things'' is an American family drama television series created by DJ Nash for ABC. Produced by ABC Signature and Kapital Entertainment, it features an ensemble cast including David Giuntoli, Grace Park, Romany Malco, Chris ...

'', son of Eddie and Katherine

References

{{given name Masculine given names Dutch masculine given names Hypocorisms English masculine given names

Greek origin

Germanic origin

People with the name Theo

Fictional characters

See also

References