Theodore

Theodore is an English given name derived from the Greek Theodoros, composed of the elements theos, meaning God, and doron, meaning gift, yielding the sense gift of God. The name was borne by several early Christian saints, including the seventh-century Archbishop of Canterbury Theodore of Tarsus, and gained lasting prominence through Pope Theodore I and numerous Eastern Orthodox martyrs. It enjoyed a strong revival in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, partly boosted by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. Closely related forms include Théodore in French, Theodor in German and Scandinavian use, Fedor and Fyodor in Slavic traditions, and the feminine variant Theodora.