Theo, a shortened form or nickname of names that start with Theo-, is derived from the Greek word theos, meaning "god." It was popular as a given name in the early 1900s, but fell off the Social Security Administration's top 1,000 for boy names in 1946. Theo made a return to the list in 2010 and American parents have quickly caught on with it going from 918th in 2010 to 290th in 2017 and 78th in 2023. Several celebrities are helping to popularize the name by giving it to their sons, including "Dancing With the Stars" pro Karina Smirnoff (Theo Gabriel), NBA player Tristan Thompson (Theo Thompson) and singer Peter Andre (Theodore "Theo" James).
