Elijah vs Theo
Elijah 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, Elijah was ranked #76 and Theo #4 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Elijah was ranked #57 and Theo #5 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Elijah was ranked #7 and Theo #32 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Elijah was ranked #23 and Theo #12 among boys in England and Wales.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Elijah was ranked #13 and Theo #19 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Elijah was ranked #97 and Theo #21 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Elijah and Theo over time
Elijah and Theo appear together in 4 published lists, across 85 years of shared records. Theo held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Elijah in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Theo reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Elijah 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2013, Theo moved ahead of Elijah in Northern Ireland · Boys — #125 and #147 the year before became #111 and #88.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Elijah and Theo averaged 52.3 places apart, ending at #23 and #12.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Elijah #23 in 2024, Theo #9 in 2022.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Elijah held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Theo in 29.
Highest recorded here: Elijah #23 in 2024, Theo #9 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Elijah #23, Theo #12.
Republic of Ireland · Boys26 shared years, 2000–2025
Elijah held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Theo in 22.
Highest recorded here: Elijah #97 in 2025, Theo #13 in 2024.
The order changed in 2005: Theo moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #244 and #299; by 2005 that had become #370 and #302.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elijah #97, Theo #21.
Northern Ireland · Boys20 shared years, 2005–2024
Elijah held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Theo in 16.
Highest recorded here: Elijah #52 in 2023, Theo #4 in 2022.
The order changed in 2013: Theo moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #125 and #147; by 2013 that had become #111 and #88.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Elijah #57, Theo #5.
New Zealand · Boys10 shared years, 2014–2023
Elijah held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Theo in 0.
Highest recorded here: Elijah #11 in 2020, Theo #19 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Elijah #13, 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 | Elijah | Theo |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Traditionally rendered as 'my God is Yahweh', reflecting a common theophoric naming pattern in Hebrew. | Gift of God. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Greek, via Theodore/Theodora |
| Pronunciation | /ɪˈlaɪdʒə/ | /ˈθioʊ/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 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 #7 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #21 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Elijah is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Theo is recorded with a Greek, via Theodore/Theodora origin.
- Elijah has 3 syllables, compared with 1 for Theo.
- Elijah'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 Elijah 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
Elijah
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #312 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2003–2025
Highest recorded position: #7 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025 (recorded 2003–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #7 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