Namewise

Jamal vs Theodore

Jamal and Theodorecompared 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, Jamal was ranked #757 and Theodore #8 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, Jamal was ranked #352 and Theodore #36 among boys in Scotland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2023, Jamal was ranked #660 and Theodore #66 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

Jamal and Theodore over time

Jamal and Theodore appear together in 2 published lists, across 43 years of shared records. Theodore held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Jamal 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.

Jamal reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Theodore 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

    Jamal held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Theodore in 29.

    Highest recorded here: Jamal #220 in 1996, Theodore #8 in 2022.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Jamal #757, Theodore #8.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys14 shared years, 19982023

    Jamal held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Theodore in 9.

    Highest recorded here: Jamal #324 in 1998, Theodore #55 in 2022.

    The order changed in 2011: Theodore moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #448 and #720; by 2011 that had become #730 and #366.

    Most recent shared year, 2023: Jamal #660, Theodore #66.

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 Jamal, Theodore
FieldJamalTheodore
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Editorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningNot yet recordedGift of God.
OriginNot yet recordedGreek
PronunciationNot yet recorded/ˈθiəˌdɔɹ/
Syllables23
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedTeddy
Recorded regional usageGB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NOAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ
Most recent popularity observationScotland · Boys #352 (2024)New South Wales, Australia · Boys #3 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recorded90/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10076/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediumhigh

What the data shows

  • Theodore has a recorded origin (Greek); Jamal does not have one recorded yet.
  • Jamal has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Theodore.
  • A meaning is recorded for Theodore; Jamal doesn't have one written yet.
  • Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE.
  • The available evidence gives Jamal a "medium" Data Confidence level and Theodore a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.

How each name got here

Jamal

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1956

    First recorded at #343 among boys in Norway in 1956 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1996–2024

    Highest recorded position: #220 among boys in England and Wales, in 1996 (recorded 1996–2024).

    England and Wales · Boys

  3. Most recent2024

    Most recently recorded at #757 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.

    England and Wales · Boys

Theodore

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1964

    First recorded at #214 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

  2. Highest recorded2015–2025

    Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2024 (recorded 2015–2025).

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #3 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys