Jude vs Theo
Jude 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, Jude was ranked #12 and Theo #4 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Jude was ranked #6 and Theo #5 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jude was ranked #11 and Theo #12 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Jude was ranked #61 and Theo #21 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Jude was ranked #54 and Theo #32 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Jude was ranked #1894 and Theo #5891 among girls in England and Wales.
Jude and Theo over time
Jude and Theo appear together in 3 published lists, across 80 years of shared records. Theo held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Jude in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Theo reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Jude 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.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Jude and Theo averaged 55.5 places apart, ending at #11 and #12.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Jude #11 in 2024, Theo #9 in 2022.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jude held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Theo in 23.
Highest recorded here: Jude #11 in 2024, Theo #9 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jude #11, Theo #12.
Republic of Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2025
Jude held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Theo in 13.
Highest recorded here: Jude #61 in 2025, Theo #13 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jude #61, Theo #21.
Northern Ireland · Boys23 shared years, 2001–2024
Jude held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Theo in 7.
Highest recorded here: Jude #6 in 2024, Theo #4 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jude #6, Theo #5.
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 | Jude | Theo |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted through its Hebrew root as connected to 'praise', via its relationship to Judah — Behind the Name frames it more narrowly as a variant of Judas. | Gift of God. |
| Origin | Hebrew, via Greek and Latin New Testament forms | Greek, via Theodore/Theodora |
| Pronunciation | /dʒuːd/ | /ˈθioʊ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Teddy |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #54 (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
- Jude is recorded with a Hebrew, via Greek and Latin New Testament forms origin, while Theo is recorded with a Greek, via Theodore/Theodora origin.
- Jude has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Theo.
- Jude'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.
- The available evidence gives Jude 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
Jude
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #234 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2024 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #54 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