Leo vs Theodore
Leo 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Leo was ranked #5 and Theodore #3 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Leo was ranked #5 and Theodore #8 among boys in England and Wales.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Leo was ranked #5 and Theodore #6 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Leo was ranked #5 and Theodore #36 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Leo was ranked #10 and Theodore #44 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Leo was ranked #12 and Theodore #32 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Leo and Theodore over time
Leo and Theodore appear together in 5 published lists, across 95 years of shared records. Leo held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Theodore in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Leo reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 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.
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, Leo and Theodore averaged 51.8 places apart, ending at #5 and #8.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Leo #5 in 2022, Theodore #8 in 2022.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Leo held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Theodore in 2.
Highest recorded here: Leo #5 in 2022, Theodore #8 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Leo #5, Theodore #8.
Republic of Ireland · Boys27 shared years, 1964–2025
Leo held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Theodore in 0.
Highest recorded here: Leo #10 in 2025, Theodore #44 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leo #10, Theodore #44.
Northern Ireland · Boys17 shared years, 2001–2024
Leo held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Theodore in 0.
Highest recorded here: Leo #6 in 2023, Theodore #32 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Leo #12, Theodore #32.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys11 shared years, 2015–2025
Leo held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Theodore in 2.
Highest recorded here: Leo #3 in 2022, Theodore #3 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leo #5, Theodore #3.
New Zealand · Boys11 shared years, 2013–2023
Leo held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Theodore in 0.
Highest recorded here: Leo #3 in 2019, Theodore #6 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Leo #5, Theodore #6.
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 | Leo | Theodore |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Lion. | Gift of God. |
| Origin | Latin | Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈliːoʊ/ | /ˈθiəˌdɔɹ/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Teddy |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #5 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #3 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Leo is recorded with a Latin origin, while Theodore is recorded with a Greek origin.
- Leo has 1 syllable, compared with 3 for Theodore.
- Leo's recorded meaning differs from Theodore'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 Leo 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
Leo
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #303 among boys in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded2009–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2022 (recorded 2009–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #5 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Theodore
Popularity journey
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
Highest recorded2015–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2024 (recorded 2015–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #3 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys