Namewise

Gerald vs Theodor

Gerald 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, Gerald was ranked #1859 and Theodor #622 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2023, Gerald was ranked #770 and Theodor #660 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

Gerald and Theodor over time

Gerald and Theodor appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Theodor held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Gerald 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.

Gerald 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.

List by list

  • England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 19962024

    Gerald held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Theodor in 16.

    Highest recorded here: Gerald #680 in 1996, Theodor #514 in 2021.

    The order changed in 2010: Theodor moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #1568 and #2544; by 2010 that had become #2199 and #1201.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Gerald #1859, 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

Side-by-side comparison of Gerald, Theodor
FieldGeraldTheodor
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Editorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningNot yet recordedThe German form of Theodore, and a Scandinavian, Czech and Romanian variant of Teodor — from Greek 'theos' (god) and 'doron' (gift), 'gift of God'.
OriginNot yet recordedGreek roots, transmitted through German and Scandinavian naming traditions as a Teodor variant
Pronunciation/ˈteː.o.doːɐ̯/
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageGB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZGB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO
Most recent popularity observationEngland and Wales · Boys #1859 (2024)Norway · Boys #11 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recorded90/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)88/10082/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Theodor has a recorded origin (Greek roots, transmitted through German and Scandinavian naming traditions as a Teodor variant); Gerald does not have one recorded yet.
  • Gerald and Theodor both have 2 syllables.
  • A meaning is recorded for Theodor; Gerald doesn't have one written yet.
  • Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.

How each name got here

Gerald

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1955

    First recorded at #90 among boys in New Zealand in 1955 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    New Zealand · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1964–2023

    Highest recorded position: #57 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2023).

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

  3. Most recent2024

    Most recently recorded at #1859 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.

    England and Wales · Boys

Theodor

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1948–2025

    Highest recorded position: #8 among boys in Norway, in 2024 (recorded 1948–2025).

    Norway · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #11 among boys in Norway, in 2025.

    Norway · Boys