Nameling

Teddy

Gender
Boy
Say it
TED-ee
Origin
Old English
UK rank, 2025
#37 for boys
US rank, 2025
#819 for boys

Teddy is a boys' name of Old English origin, meaning “rich guardian or gift of God”. In 2025 it ranked 37th for boys in the UK (1,443 babies) and 819th for boys in the US (301 babies).

What does Teddy mean?

Old English: pet form of Edward, also of Theodore

“rich guardian or gift of God”

The teddy bear was named after US President Theodore Roosevelt after a 1902 hunting story; Teddy is also a pet form of Edward.

Is Teddy a girl's or a boy's name?

Teddy is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 7 girls and 1,443 boys in the UK and 56 girls and 301 boys in the US.

How popular is Teddy in the UK?

Rank in 2025
#37among boys
Babies in 2025
1,443about 1 in 210 boys
Five-year trend
Steadydown 8% in five years
Same name in a class
6.5%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 1,443 boys in the UK were named Teddy, making it the 37th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 32nd. Its busiest year was 2022, with 2,167 boys. 7 girls were also named Teddy in 2025 (3,409th for girls).

It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 3 years. 2025 had fewer boys named Teddy than any year since 2014.

Half of all the boys named Teddy in the UK since 1996 were born between 2016 and 2022, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 1,617 boys in the UK were given Teddy or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #29, up from #37 for this spelling alone.

Among boys in 2025, it was 34th in England and Wales, 88th in Scotland and 103rd in Northern Ireland.

In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 2014 (#66) and 2024 (#29).

1996Busiest: 2,167 in 20222025
Teddy in the UK, year by year
YearBoysRank
20251,443#37
20241,608#31
20231,799#26
20222,167#20
20211,979#29
20201,723#32
20191,782#38
20181,741#40
20171,684#40
20161,546#43
20151,463#45
20141,032#76
2013707#99
2012423#156
2011384#169
2010269#214
2009219#235
2008186#262
2007188#249
2006158#265
2005121#296
2004104#325
200387#349
200292#325
200160#425
200040#548
199936#585
199826#714
199731#611
199620#797

How popular is Teddy in the US?

Rank in 2025
#819among boys
Babies in 2025
301about 1 in 5,700 boys
Five-year trend
Rising fastup 122% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 301 boys in the US were named Teddy, making it the 819th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,325th. Its busiest year was 1949, with 613 boys. It first appears in the records in 1890. 56 girls were also named Teddy in 2025 (2,957th for girls).

It has been given to more boys each year for the last 9 years. 2025 had more boys named Teddy than any year since 1972.

Half of all the boys named Teddy in the US since 1880 were born between 1939 and 1971, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 308 boys in the US were given Teddy or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #755, up from #819 for this spelling alone.

In 2025, 16% of the babies named Teddy in the US were girls.

1890Busiest: 613 in 19492025
Teddy in the US, year by year
YearBoysRank
2025301#819
2024265#891
2023222#992
2022212#1,042
2021169#1,168
2020135#1,325
2019121#1,441
201899#1,638
201797#1,630
201684#1,799
201591#1,703
201472#1,978
201365#2,064
201263#2,131
201169#1,987
201069#1,985
200980#1,838
200873#1,948
200773#1,928
200678#1,769
200577#1,722
200468#1,812
200379#1,588
200276#1,593
200186#1,437
200089#1,397
199996#1,274
199891#1,298
1997116#1,087
1996129#975
199595#1,183
1994120#1,009
1993121#980
1992127#949
1991151#841
1990165#786
1989163#775
1988199#671
1987185#672
1986187#653
1985149#723
1984160#685
1983195#613
1982220#579
1981241#541
1980251#539
1979291#485
1978244#527
1977287#476
1976289#461
1975277#480
1974270#485
1973269#479
1972333#435
1971372#415
1970377#421
1969448#368
1968470#357
1967451#352
1966512#334
1965524#329
1964556#332
1963548#336
1962571#330
1961609#318
1960591#321
1959574#324
1958565#324
1957568#322
1956562#313
1955486#336
1954477#330
1953533#310
1952540#306
1951562#289
1950549#289
1949613#264
1948538#296
1947509#307
1946553#272
1945472#276
1944505#265
1943504#269
1942516#260
1941484#253
1940451#263
1939421#265
1938449#256
1937434#258
1936431#259
1935414#266
1934457#253
1933476#239
1932462#251
1931424#264
1930417#278
1929378#286
1928388#286
1927313#324
1926311#324
1925262#366
1924292#341
1923277#355
1922233#391
1921275#363
1920238#387
1919239#374
1918260#362
1917181#419
1916146#475
1915132#485
191480#555
191337#777
191255#539
191121#689
191023#598
190916#679
190812#779
190720#540
190617#568
190521#491
190417#538
190314#595
190211#686
190115#506
190016#623
18990–
18985#1,120
18977#851
18960–
18950–
18940–
18930–
18920–
18910–
18906#884

Nicknames for Teddy

Names like Teddy

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Tommy Ronnie Sonny Bobby Frankie Freddie Reggie Louie Rory Theodore Edward Roman

Other spellings of Teddy

Teddie Tedi Teddi

Names related to Teddy

Ted

More Old English names

Alfie Waylon Alfred Audrey Edith Wilfred Ozzy Edie Eddie Edwin Eduardo Edgar Alden Edmund Kelsey Alvin

Every Old English name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Teddy: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/teddy, updated 20 October 2026.