Earl vs Theodor
Earl and Theodorcompared 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Earl was ranked #3688 and Theodor #622 among boys in England and Wales.
Earl and Theodor over time
Earl and Theodor appear together in 1 published list, across 28 years of shared records. Theodor held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Earl in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Earl reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Theodor in none. 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Earl and Theodor changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #3688 and #622.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys28 shared years, 1996–2024
Earl held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Theodor in 19.
Highest recorded here: Earl #1168 in 1996, Theodor #514 in 2021.
The order changed in 2010: Theodor moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #1859 and #2544; by 2010 that had become #4678 and #1201.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Earl #3688, Theodor #622.
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 | Earl | Theodor |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | The German form of Theodore, and a Scandinavian, Czech and Romanian variant of Teodor — from Greek 'theos' (god) and 'doron' (gift), 'gift of God'. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Greek roots, transmitted through German and Scandinavian naming traditions as a Teodor variant |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈteː.o.doːɐ̯/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #3688 (2024) | Norway · Boys #11 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Theodor has a recorded origin (Greek roots, transmitted through German and Scandinavian naming traditions as a Teodor variant); Earl does not have one recorded yet.
- Earl has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Theodor.
- A meaning is recorded for Theodor; Earl doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Earl
Popularity journey
First recorded1967
First recorded at #245 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1967 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1967–1981
Highest recorded position: #245 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1967 (recorded 1967–1981).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #3688 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys
Theodor
Popularity journey
First recorded1948
First recorded at #363 among boys in Norway in 1948 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1948–2025
Highest recorded position: #8 among boys in Norway, in 2024 (recorded 1948–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys