Arlo vs Theo
Arlo and Theocompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Arlo was ranked #18 and Theo #4 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Arlo was ranked #45 and Theo #5 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Arlo was ranked #15 and Theo #12 among boys in England and Wales.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Arlo was ranked #12 and Theo #19 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Arlo was ranked #54 and Theo #21 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Arlo was ranked #47 and Theo #32 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Arlo was ranked #1894 and Theo #5891 among girls in England and Wales.
Arlo and Theo over time
Arlo and Theo appear together in 4 published lists, across 66 years of shared records. Theo held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Arlo in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Theo reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Arlo in 1. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Arlo #14 in 2023, Theo #9 in 2022.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys26 shared years, 1999–2024
Arlo held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Theo in 26.
Highest recorded here: Arlo #14 in 2023, Theo #9 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Arlo #15, Theo #12.
Republic of Ireland · Boys17 shared years, 2009–2025
Arlo held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Theo in 17.
Highest recorded here: Arlo #48 in 2024, Theo #13 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Arlo #54, Theo #21.
Northern Ireland · Boys13 shared years, 2011–2024
Arlo held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Theo in 13.
Highest recorded here: Arlo #40 in 2023, Theo #4 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Arlo #45, Theo #5.
New Zealand · Boys10 shared years, 2014–2023
Arlo held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Theo in 0.
Highest recorded here: Arlo #10 in 2017, Theo #19 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Arlo #12, Theo #19.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Arlo | Theo |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Meaning uncertain — likely derived by Edmund Spenser from the real Irish place name Aherlow ('between two highlands') for the fictional Arlo Hill in The Faerie Queene (1590). | Gift of God. |
| Origin | Irish (place name origin, via literary adaptation) | Greek, via Theodore/Theodora |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɑɹ.loʊ/ | /ˈθioʊ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Teddy |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #47 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #21 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Arlo is recorded with a Irish (place name origin, via literary adaptation) origin, while Theo is recorded with a Greek, via Theodore/Theodora origin.
- Arlo has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Theo.
- Arlo's recorded meaning differs from Theo's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Arlo a "medium" Data Confidence level and Theo a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Arlo
Popularity journey
First recorded1999
First recorded at #2943 among boys in England and Wales in 1999 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2013–2023
Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in New Zealand, in 2017 (recorded 2013–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #47 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Theo
Popularity journey
First recorded1986
First recorded at #637 among boys in Norway in 1986 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded2001–2024
Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2022 (recorded 2001–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #32 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys