Thea
Shortened from Dorothea and Theodora, ultimately from Lua error in Module:etymology/templates at line 71: Language 'en (English)' does not match the L2 header…
Every Thea since 1880 — 20,118 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Thea
Thea is moderately common for girls in the United States, ranked #353 in 2025 with 867 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 20,118 American babies have been named Thea. Its peak came in 2018, when 1,209 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2010s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Thea stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Thea year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 867 | #353 | — | — |
| 2024 | 897 | #349 | — | — |
| 2023 | 974 | #321 | — | — |
| 2022 | 1,066 | #300 | — | — |
| 2021 | 1,033 | #314 | — | — |
| 2020 | 1,071 | #303 | — | — |
| 2019 | 1,142 | #293 | — | — |
| 2018 | 1,209 | #273 | — | — |
| 2017 | 1,193 | #268 | — | — |
| 2016 | 1,121 | #291 | — | — |
| 2015 | 688 | #464 | — | — |
| 2014 | 364 | #771 | — | — |
| 2013 | 213 | #1,134 | — | — |
| 2012 | 187 | #1,283 | — | — |
| 2011 | 146 | #1,520 | — | — |
| 2010 | 145 | #1,544 | — | — |
| 2009 | 161 | #1,449 | — | — |
| 2008 | 148 | #1,560 | — | — |
| 2007 | 132 | #1,678 | — | — |
| 2006 | 133 | #1,613 | — | — |
| 2005 | 130 | #1,573 | — | — |
| 2004 | 150 | #1,396 | — | — |
| 2003 | 149 | #1,364 | — | — |
| 2002 | 124 | #1,532 | — | — |
| 2001 | 124 | #1,514 | — | — |
| 2000 | 111 | #1,600 | — | — |
| 1995 | 67 | #2,048 | — | — |
| 1990 | 138 | #1,223 | — | — |
| 1985 | 81 | #1,521 | — | — |
| 1980 | 132 | #1,076 | — | — |
| 1975 | 94 | #1,227 | — | — |
| 1970 | 101 | #1,153 | — | — |
| 1965 | 119 | #938 | — | — |
| 1960 | 106 | #1,046 | — | — |
| 1955 | 135 | #838 | — | — |
| 1950 | 85 | #996 | — | — |
| 1945 | 32 | #1,447 | — | — |
| 1940 | 39 | #1,183 | — | — |
| 1935 | 22 | #1,657 | — | — |
| 1930 | 23 | #1,701 | — | — |
| 1925 | 19 | #2,112 | — | — |
| 1920 | 25 | #1,702 | — | — |
| 1915 | 17 | #1,953 | — | — |
| 1910 | 8 | #1,913 | — | — |
| 1905 | 6 | #1,902 | — | — |
| 1900 | 7 | #1,713 | — | — |
| 1895 | 26 | #606 | — | — |
| 1890 | 8 | #1,087 | — | — |
| 1885 | 9 | #789 | — | — |
| 1880 | 6 | #827 | — | — |
Famous people named Thea
- Thea von Harbou Film director · 1888–1954
- Thea Beckman Writer · 1923–2004
- Thea Garrett Singer · b. 1992
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Thea mean?
Shortened from Dorothea and Theodora, ultimately from Lua error in Module:etymology/templates at line 71: Language 'en (English)' does not match the L2 header (Translingual)..
How popular is the name Thea in 2025?
Thea ranked #353 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 867 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Thea?
20,118 babies have been named Thea in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Thea most popular?
Thea peaked in 2018, when 1,209 newborns received the name.
Is Thea a boy or girl name?
Thea is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Thea rising or falling?
Thea is on the rise — noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Thea?
Well-known people named Thea include Thea von Harbou (film director), Thea Beckman (writer), Thea Garrett (singer).