Theophilus
A masculine name of Greek origin meaning "loved by God" or "friend of God".
Name Census estimates that about 1,726 living Americans carry the first name Theophilus. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Theophilus today is around 34 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Theophilus births was 2022 (68 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Theophilus. 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
1.7K
~ 1 in 198,583 Americans
Peak year
2022
68 babies that year
Average age
34
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,225
Tracked since 1882
Popularity
Theophilus: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Theophilus from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 14 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 360 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Theophilus remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Theophilus 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 Theophilus during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Theophilus' live
The SSA's state-level files cover 13 states and territories. California, Texas, Georgia recorded the most babies named Theophilus, while Virginia, Ohio, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 12 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Theophilus
The name Theophilus has its origins in Greek, deriving from the combination of the words "theos" meaning "god" and "philos" meaning "lover" or "friend." Together, Theophilus translates to "friend of God" or "beloved of God." The name first appeared during the Hellenistic period, which spanned from the 4th to the 1st century BC.
Theophilus holds significance in various religious and historical contexts. In the New Testament of the Bible, the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles are addressed to a person named Theophilus, though his identity remains uncertain. It is believed that he may have been a prominent Roman official or a wealthy patron who sponsored Luke's writings.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Theophilus can be found in the writings of the Roman historian Tacitus, who mentioned a man named Theophilus of Antioch in his work "Annals." This Theophilus lived in the 2nd century AD and was known for his writings defending Christianity against pagan critics.
Another notable figure named Theophilus was Theophilus of Alexandria, a patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church who lived from around 345 to 412 AD. He is remembered for his involvement in the controversy surrounding the teachings of Origen and for his role in the expulsion of St. John Chrysostom from Constantinople.
In the 6th century, there was a Byzantine historian named Theophilus of Byzantium, who wrote a work called "Chronographia," which chronicled events from the creation of the world to the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Maurice.
During the Renaissance period, Theophilus was the name of a renowned German monk and artist who lived in the late 11th or early 12th century. He wrote a treatise on the arts and crafts of his time, titled "De Diversis Artibus" or "On Divers Arts," which provided valuable insights into the techniques and materials used by medieval artists.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who bore the name Theophilus throughout history, highlighting its enduring presence across different cultures and time periods.
People
Theophilus + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Theophilus 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
Theophilus: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Theophilus?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,726 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Theophilus 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 198,583 US residents.
Is Theophilus a common name?
We classify Theophilus as "Rare". It ranks above 93.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,392 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Theophilus most popular?
The single biggest year for Theophilus was 2022, when 68 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Theophilus is about 34 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Theophilus a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Theophilus 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.