Name of the Week: Theodora

 

Origin:

Theodora is the anglicised form of the ancient Greek name Θεοδωρα (Theodora), and the feminine form of Theodore/Theodoros, composed of the elements theos "a god" and doron "gift."

Usage:

The masculine form, Theodoros, was a well used name in the Classical and Hellenistic periods of Ancient Greece, ranking in the top 20 in the Aegean islands and Cyprus, Attica, The Peloponnese, Western Greece and Magna Graecia, Central Greece and Macedonia. It was also borne by several notable ancient Greeks including the 6th century BC inventor Theodorus of Samos, and 5th century mathematician Theodorus of Cyrene.   The feminine form was less common in Antiquity, but it was #20 in Macedonia and Thrace, and #31 in The Peloponnese, Western Greece and Magna Graecia according to the LGPN database.  When the early Christians of the Byzantine Empire cleverly reinterpreted the meaning of the name from the Pagan "gift of the god(s)" to the Christianised "gift of God," Theodora took on a new life.  Not only has it been borne by several early Christian saints, but by a multitude of Byzantine empresses and princesses. One of the most famous of these was Empress Theodora (c. 497-548), wife of the emperor Justinian I who reigned 527–565. She was a woman of great intelligence and political acumen, who became Justinian's chief advisor. Hers was a real rags to riches story. She was undoubtedly the most powerful woman of her age, carving a path for herself in a masculine world, and she is now considered a saint by the Orthodox Church.  Her importance and influence can be seen in this clip from the third programme of The Ascent of Woman, written and presented by Dr. Amanda Foreman: Another notable Empress Theodora (c. 815–c. 867) was the wife of Theophilos who acted as regent for her son after her husband's death and brought an end to iconoclasm. She, too, is also venerated as a saint.  Its prevalent use among early saints and empresses of the Eastern Christian Empire meant Theodora was continued through the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Russian form Feodora (or Fyodora) was notable among the Russian aristocracy, and also German nobility. Fyodora Alexeevna (1674–1677) was a daughter of Tsar Aleksey Mikhailovich of Russia,  for example, and Princess Feodora of Leiningen (1807-1872) was the elder half-sister of Queen Victoria -- the queen gave the name to her youngest daughter Princess Beatrice as a middle name and it continued among Victoria's descendants. Theodora came into use in Britain in the 16th century, but it was always uncommon. By the 19th century, its use was steady and regular, but never common enough to make the top 200, as we can see from its ranks in England and Wales: 1850: <#300 1860: #233 1870: #265 1880: #245 1890: #243 1900: #264 It is interesting to note, however, that Dorothy (which has the same elements as Theodora, only in reverse) was consistently in the top 100 during this period, reaching #20 in 1890 and #8 in 1900. The short for Dora also ranked within the top 100 from 1880 onwards.  During this century, Theo can also be found in use for both boys and girls, indicating that Theo not only developed as a short form of Theodore, but also Theodora.  By the mid-20th century, Theodora was still in regular use, but had nevertheless declined, from 53 births in 1900, to 28 in 1920, 5 in 1940 and 10 in 1960.  click to enlarge From 1996 to 2011, Theodora was consistently below the top 1000 in England and Wales (with the exception of 2000 and 2001 when it was #897 and #992 respectively). In 2012, it rose #955 (38 births). This was the year that Robbie Williams welcomed his daughter Theodora Rose "Teddy," and may be one reason why the name rose again to #750 (52 births) in 2013.  2013 was also the year that Oz the Great and Powerful was released in cinemas, featuring Mila Kuniz in the lead role of Theodora, so it is perhaps not surprising that the name peaked at #516 (82 births) in 2014.  In 2015, Theodora ranked #708 (56 births) in England and Wales. In 2016, it ranked #798 (3 births) in Scotland but did not rank at all in Northern Ireland.

Famous Bearers:

History: * 5 Saints, including:   - Saint Theodora, 2nd-century Christian martyr and saint.   - Saint Theodora of Alexandria, 5th century Eastern Orthodox saint.   - Saint Theodora of Arta, 13th century Empress of Epirus * Flavia Maximiana Theodora, 3rd century, daughter of the Roman Emperor Maximian and second wife of the Emperor Constantius I Chlorus. * Theodora of Emesa, 5th-century Neoplatonist. * Empress Theodora, wife of Byzantine emperor Justinian I, considered a saint by the Greek Orthodox Church. * Theodora of Khazaria, 7th-century empress, wife of Justinian II. * Theodora, wife of Theophilos, 9th-century Byzantine empress.  * Theodora, wife of Romanos I, 10th-century Byzantine empress. * Theodora, Byzantine 10th-century Byzantine empress, daughter of Constantine VII, , wife of John I Tzimiskes. * Theodora Porphyrogenita, Byzantine empress who ruled 1055-1056. * Theodora Palaiologina, 13th-century Byzantine empress, wife of Michael VIII Palaiologos. * Theodora of Trebizond, empress regnant from 1284 to 1285. * Theodora Cormontan (1840–1922), Norwegian American pianist, music publisher and composer. * Theodora Kroeber (1897-1979), American anthropologist and author.  * Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark (1906–1969), elder sister of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. * Theodora Keogh (1919-2008), American novelist. Contemporary: * Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark (b.1983), daughter of King Constantine II of Greece and Anne-Marie of Denmark. * Theodora Richards (b. 1985), American model and daughter of musician Keith Richards. Literature and Other Media: * Theodora, character in film ''Oz the Great and Powerful.'' * Theodora Lynn, main character in 1936 film "Theodora Goes Wild." * Theodora 'Teddy' Altman, character on TV's "Grey's Anatomy.' * Theodora, an opera by Thomas Morell. * Theodora "Theo" Dane, character in book "Ballet Shoes"

Variants:

Theadora; Teodora (Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Romanian, Polish, Serbian), Feodora (Russian)

Pronunciation:

thee-ə-DOR-ə [key]

Possible  diminutives:

Thea, Theo, Teddy, Dora, Dori, Thora, Theda

Sibling Names:

Alexandra     Cecily     Verity     Philippa     Antonia     Henrietta  Benedict     Edmund     Rafe     Dominic      Felix      Sebastian

Name Lists:

Upright Elegance

  

If you like Theodora you may also like:   Leonora, Tabitha, Isadora, Rosamund, Primrose, Cassandra, Penelope, Josephine, Hermione, Gwendolyn

Thanks to Prue for requesting this name.