Theoden
A masculine Old English name meaning "ruler of the people".
Name Census estimates that about 598 living Americans carry the first name Theoden. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Theoden today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Theoden births was 2023 (93 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Theoden. 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.
People living today
598
~ 1 in 573,168 Americans
Peak year
2023
93 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,857
Tracked since 2004
Popularity
Theoden: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Theoden from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 351 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Theoden 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 Theoden during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Theodens live
The SSA's state-level files cover 10 states and territories. California, Texas, Washington recorded the most babies named Theoden, while Kentucky, Idaho, Arizona recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 11 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Theoden
The name Theoden has its origins in Old English, derived from the elements "þeod" meaning "people" or "nation" and "ēn" meaning "lord" or "ruler." It dates back to the Anglo-Saxon period in Britain, around the 5th to 11th centuries AD. This name was commonly used among the ruling class and nobility of that time, reflecting the authority and leadership associated with the title "lord of the people."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Theoden can be found in the epic poem Beowulf, which is believed to have been composed between the 8th and 11th centuries. In this work, Theoden is mentioned as the name of a king of the Geats, a Germanic tribe that inhabited what is now southern Sweden.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Theoden appeared sporadically in various historical records and chronicles, primarily in England and other parts of the British Isles. One notable bearer of the name was Theoden of Mercia, who ruled the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia from around 679 to 690 AD.
In the 17th century, the name Theoden gained renewed popularity due to its inclusion in the works of the English poet John Milton. In his epic poem Paradise Lost, published in 1667, Milton used the name Theoden as a character, further contributing to its recognition and association with literary works.
Another famous figure bearing the name Theoden was Theoden Pendragon, a British historian and writer who lived from 1816 to 1891. He is best known for his works on Arthurian legends and Celtic mythology.
In more recent times, the name Theoden gained widespread recognition through its use in J.R.R. Tolkien's literary masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings. In this epic fantasy novel, Theoden is the name of the King of Rohan, a valiant leader who plays a crucial role in the battle against the forces of Sauron.
While the name Theoden may not be as common in modern times, it remains a powerful and evocative name with a rich historical and literary heritage, evoking images of leadership, nobility, and the enduring legacy of the Anglo-Saxon era.
People
Theoden + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Theoden 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
Theoden: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Theoden?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 598 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Theoden 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 573,168 US residents.
Is Theoden a common name?
We classify Theoden as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 602 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Theoden most popular?
The single biggest year for Theoden was 2023, when 93 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Theoden is about 7 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Theoden a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Theoden 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.