Teddy
Diminutive form of Theodore, meaning "gift of God" from Greek elements.
Name Census estimates that about 21,727 living Americans carry the first name Teddy. It is a predominantly male name (95.1% of registrations). The average person named Teddy today is around 56 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Teddy births was 1949 (637 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Teddy. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Although Teddy is used almost entirely for boys, the SSA data does show 1,719 girls registered with the name since 1880.
People living today
22K
~ 1 in 15,776 Americans
Peak year
1949
637 babies that year
Average age
56
years old
2024 SSA rank
#898
Tracked since 1890
Gender
Gender distribution for Teddy
Teddy leans heavily male at 95.1% of total registrations, but 1,719 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Teddy as a male name
- Ranked #898 in 2024
- 262 male births in 2024
- Peak: 1949 (613 births)
Teddy as a female name
- Ranked #3,494 in 2024
- 45 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (62 births)
Popularity
Teddy: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Teddy from the 1890s through to the 2020s, spanning 14 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 5,637 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Teddy by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Teddy during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Teddys live
The SSA's state-level files cover 43 states and territories. New York, Texas, California recorded the most babies named Teddy, while Rhode Island, Hawaii, Alaska recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 652 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Teddy
The given name Teddy is a diminutive form of the name Theodore, derived from the Greek name Theodoros. The name Theodoros is composed of the elements theos, meaning "god," and doron, meaning "gift." Thus, the name Theodoros translates to "gift of God."
The name Theodore was in use among Greek-speaking populations since ancient times. It was a popular name among early Christians, who associated it with the meaning "gift from God." The diminutive form Teddy emerged in the 19th century as an affectionate nickname for Theodore.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Teddy was in reference to Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States. Born in 1858, he was affectionately known as "Teddy" from a young age, and the nickname stuck throughout his life. The popularity of the name Teddy surged after Roosevelt's presidency, as he became a national icon.
Another famous bearer of the name Teddy was Teddy Wilson, an American jazz pianist born in 1912. He was a prominent figure in the swing era and worked with legendary musicians like Benny Goodman and Billie Holiday.
Teddy Pendergrass, born in 1950, was an influential American singer and songwriter known for his deep baritone voice and contributions to the Philadelphia soul music scene.
In the world of literature, Teddy Wayne is an American novelist and memoirist born in 1971. His works explore themes of identity, masculinity, and modern culture.
Teddy Riner, born in 1989, is a French judoka who has won numerous Olympic and World Championship titles, making him one of the most successful athletes in the sport's history.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Teddy. While it originated as a diminutive of Theodore, the name Teddy has become a distinct and beloved name in its own right, carrying connotations of warmth, affection, and endearment.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Teddy
People
Teddy + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Teddy as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Teddy: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Teddy?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 21,727 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Teddy going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 15,776 US residents.
Is Teddy a common name?
We classify Teddy as "Uncommon". It ranks above 98.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 35,040 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Teddy most popular?
The single biggest year for Teddy was 1949, when 637 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Teddy is about 56 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Teddy a male name?
Yes, 95.1% of people registered as Teddy in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.