Girl nameCurrently #348 in the USSteady
Thea
THEE-uh//ˈθiːə//
2 syllablesPeak year: 20184 lettersStarts with T
Meaning & origin
Goddess (short form of Theodora/Dorothea)
Thea functions both as a short form of names like Theodora or Dorothea and as a name in its own right from the Greek 'thea', meaning goddess. Short, elegant, and increasingly popular, it has grown quickly as a stand-alone choice in the 2010s and 2020s.
Thea's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Thea |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 6 |
| 1881 | 5 |
| 1882 | 7 |
| 1883 | 6 |
| 1884 | 10 |
| 1885 | 9 |
| 1886 | 10 |
| 1887 | 6 |
| 1888 | 14 |
| 1889 | 13 |
| 1890 | 8 |
| 1891 | 9 |
| 1892 | 12 |
| 1893 | 8 |
| 1894 | 10 |
| 1895 | 26 |
| 1896 | 11 |
| 1897 | 11 |
| 1899 | 10 |
| 1900 | 7 |
| 1901 | 15 |
| 1902 | 14 |
| 1904 | 10 |
| 1905 | 6 |
| 1906 | 7 |
| 1907 | 9 |
| 1908 | 10 |
| 1909 | 9 |
| 1910 | 8 |
| 1911 | 10 |
| 1912 | 20 |
| 1913 | 15 |
| 1914 | 19 |
| 1915 | 17 |
| 1916 | 21 |
| 1917 | 17 |
| 1918 | 14 |
| 1919 | 16 |
| 1920 | 25 |
| 1921 | 28 |
| 1922 | 21 |
| 1923 | 16 |
| 1924 | 30 |
| 1925 | 19 |
| 1926 | 21 |
| 1927 | 40 |
| 1928 | 37 |
| 1929 | 22 |
| 1930 | 23 |
| 1931 | 21 |
| 1932 | 20 |
| 1933 | 10 |
| 1934 | 17 |
| 1935 | 22 |
| 1936 | 23 |
| 1937 | 23 |
| 1938 | 18 |
| 1939 | 30 |
| 1940 | 39 |
| 1941 | 45 |
| 1942 | 34 |
| 1943 | 39 |
| 1944 | 32 |
| 1945 | 32 |
| 1946 | 53 |
| 1947 | 51 |
| 1948 | 56 |
| 1949 | 50 |
| 1950 | 85 |
| 1951 | 85 |
| 1952 | 102 |
| 1953 | 98 |
| 1954 | 98 |
| 1955 | 135 |
| 1956 | 93 |
| 1957 | 124 |
| 1958 | 100 |
| 1959 | 107 |
| 1960 | 106 |
| 1961 | 114 |
| 1962 | 129 |
| 1963 | 117 |
| 1964 | 119 |
| 1965 | 119 |
| 1966 | 101 |
| 1967 | 96 |
| 1968 | 103 |
| 1969 | 95 |
| 1970 | 101 |
| 1971 | 112 |
| 1972 | 87 |
| 1973 | 85 |
| 1974 | 103 |
| 1975 | 94 |
| 1976 | 97 |
| 1977 | 101 |
| 1978 | 114 |
| 1979 | 115 |
| 1980 | 132 |
| 1981 | 133 |
| 1982 | 123 |
| 1983 | 78 |
| 1984 | 92 |
| 1985 | 81 |
| 1986 | 78 |
| 1987 | 75 |
| 1988 | 104 |
| 1989 | 126 |
| 1990 | 138 |
| 1991 | 126 |
| 1992 | 98 |
| 1993 | 112 |
| 1994 | 61 |
| 1995 | 67 |
| 1996 | 97 |
| 1997 | 88 |
| 1998 | 75 |
| 1999 | 90 |
| 2000 | 111 |
| 2001 | 124 |
| 2002 | 124 |
| 2003 | 149 |
| 2004 | 150 |
| 2005 | 130 |
| 2006 | 133 |
| 2007 | 132 |
| 2008 | 148 |
| 2009 | 161 |
| 2010 | 145 |
| 2011 | 146 |
| 2012 | 187 |
| 2013 | 213 |
| 2014 | 364 |
| 2015 | 688 |
| 2016 | 1,121 |
| 2017 | 1,192 |
| 2018 | 1,208 |
| 2019 | 1,142 |
| 2020 | 1,069 |
| 2021 | 1,033 |
| 2022 | 1,065 |
| 2023 | 973 |
| 2024 | 893 |
Thea through the decades
- Thea peaked in 2018, when 1,208 babies were named Thea in the US.
- The 2020s were Thea's strongest decade, averaging 1,007 births a year.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Thea has risen 490% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Thea currently ranks #348 in the US and is holding steady.
Nicknames
Thea
Variants & spellings
TheodoraDorothea