Theoden
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- THAY-o-den
- Origin
- Old English
- UK rank, 2025
- #1,686 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #1,621 for boys
Theoden is a boys' name of Old English origin, meaning “lord, king”. In 2025 it ranked 1,686th for boys in the UK (16 babies) and 1,621st for boys in the US (104 babies).
What does Theoden mean?
Old English: from Old English theoden, via Tolkien
“lord, king”
Tolkien took it from Old English theoden, 'lord of a people', for Théoden, King of Rohan in The Lord of the Rings.
Is Theoden a girl's or a boy's name?
Theoden is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 16 boys in the UK and 104 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Theoden in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- 1,686th among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 16 about 1 in 19,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Rising fast up 290% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 16 boys in the UK were named Theoden, making it the 1,686th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 4,803rd.
2025 had the most boys named Theoden of any year since it first appeared, in 2003.
Half of all the boys named Theoden in the UK since 1996 were born between 2013 and 2024, the years shaded on the chart below.
Among boys in 2025, it was 1,612th in England and Wales.
Theoden in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 16 | #1,686 |
| 2024 | 13 | #1,917 |
| 2023 | 10 | #2,303 |
| 2022 | 13 | #1,886 |
| 2021 | 6 | #3,179 |
| 2020 | 3 | #4,803 |
| 2019 | 7 | #2,878 |
| 2018 | 0 | – |
| 2017 | 3 | #4,995 |
| 2016 | 4 | #4,214 |
| 2015 | 0 | – |
| 2014 | 3 | #4,829 |
| 2013 | 9 | #2,334 |
| 2012 | 5 | #3,572 |
| 2011 | 0 | – |
| 2010 | 4 | #4,026 |
| 2009 | 0 | – |
| 2008 | 3 | #4,615 |
| 2007 | 0 | – |
| 2006 | 5 | #3,013 |
| 2005 | 0 | – |
| 2004 | 3 | #3,792 |
| 2003 | 1 | #4,616 |
How popular is Theoden in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- 1,621st among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 104 about 1 in 16,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Rising fast up 152% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 104 boys in the US were named Theoden, making it the 1,621st most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,845th. It first appears in the records in 2004.
2025 had the most boys named Theoden of any year since it first appeared, in 2004.
Half of all the boys named Theoden in the US since 1880 were born between 2017 and 2024, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 111 boys in the US were given Theoden or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #1,393, up from #1,621 for this spelling alone.
- Theoden 104
- Theodin 7
Theoden in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 104 | #1,621 |
| 2024 | 88 | #1,833 |
| 2023 | 93 | #1,754 |
| 2022 | 74 | #2,038 |
| 2021 | 55 | #2,438 |
| 2020 | 42 | #2,845 |
| 2019 | 37 | #3,140 |
| 2018 | 34 | #3,298 |
| 2017 | 29 | #3,674 |
| 2016 | 21 | #4,623 |
| 2015 | 19 | #4,888 |
| 2014 | 19 | #4,862 |
| 2013 | 13 | #6,236 |
| 2012 | 0 | – |
| 2011 | 10 | #7,495 |
| 2010 | 11 | #7,081 |
| 2009 | 7 | #9,859 |
| 2008 | 7 | #9,864 |
| 2007 | 11 | #7,090 |
| 2006 | 15 | #5,521 |
| 2005 | 7 | #9,108 |
| 2004 | 11 | #6,514 |
Names like Theoden
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Cillian, Finn, Rowan, Kayden, Cassian, Lochlan, Ronan, Eden, Theo, Finley, Aiden, Albie
Names related to Theoden
More Old English names
Alfie, Edward, Teddy, Waylon, Alfred, Audrey, Edith, Wilfred, Ozzy, Edie, Eddie, Edwin, Ted, Teddie, Eduardo, Edgar
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, “Theoden: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/theoden, updated 20 October 2026.