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Home › Baby Names Directory › Teddy

Teddy

♀ Girl

Pronounced TED-ee /ˈtɛd.i/High

Meaning: Pet form of Theodora — Greek 'gift of God' — worn standalone by girls in the vintage-nickname revivalHigh

In 30 seconds: A divine gift you can hug: Teddy pets Theodora — 'gift of God' — and arrives pre-equipped with the bear. The tomboy-nickname revival put it back on girls' birth certificates.
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Origin HighEnglish, Greek
MeaningPet form of Theodora — Greek 'gift of God' — worn standalone by girls in the vintage-nickname revival
U.S. rank (2025)#2994 ↗ Rising
2025 U.S. births56 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year2023
Total births (all-time)≈ 1,775

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 202319052025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Teddy abbreviates Theodora and Theodore — Greek theos + doron, 'gift of God' — and for girls it rode the Edwardian nickname wave and again today's Frankie-Billie revival; celebrity daughters named Teddy have multiplied through the 2010s. The bear keeps it forever soft.

As a girl's standalone it remains rare but climbing in style influence. Theodora waits formally behind it for graduation days.

Did you know? The teddy bear itself is a name story — toymakers christened it for Theodore Roosevelt after he spared a bear on a 1902 hunt, and the cuddle has carried his nickname since.
Overall data confidence 88%
Behind the Name — Teddy — pet form background

Variations

TeddieTheodoraThea

Nicknames

Ted

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Teddy…

Frankie— the flagship revived tomboy nickname
Billie— a fellow menswear name girls reclaimed
Stevie— the companion -ie crossover of the same wave
Theodora— the formal 'gift of God' behind the cuddle

Explore names like Teddy

By themeunisexvintagenickname-name
By meaningGod / DivineGift / Blessing

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Teddy mean?

Teddy is a pet form of Theodora, Greek for 'gift of God'.

How do you pronounce Teddy?

It's said TED-ee /ˈtɛd.i/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Teddy a boy or girl name?

Teddy serves both sexes; this page covers its growing use as a girl's name.

How popular is Teddy?

Teddy is rare as a girls' legal name in the U.S. and rising in style influence.

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