Theo
Encyclopedia
Theo is a given name, deriving from the Greek word Theos which means god, short for many different names in which 'Theo-' is the first element, for example:
Thea
is a feminine given name of similar origin.
Many other names beginning in "theo" do not necessarily derive from Greek, but rather the old Germanic "theud" meaning "people" or "folk". As these names are not common today and in the ancient times they were not spelled with "theo" it is unlikely this nickname was ever applied to these individuals. These names include:
- Theodore
- TheodosiusTheodosiusTheodosius is a name which might refer to one of several people:* One of three emperors of ancient Rome and Byzantium:** Theodosius I , son of Count Theodosius...
- TheophilusTheophilusTheophilus is a male given name with a range of alternative spellings. Its origin is the Greek word Θεόφιλος from θεός and φιλία can be translated as "Love of God" or "Friend of God," i.e., it is a theophoric name, synonymous with the name Amadeus which originates from Latin...
- Theophile
- TheodoraTheodora (given name)Theodora is a feminine given name, the feminine version of Theodore, which derives from the Greek words θέος or theos, meaning "god" and δώρον or doron, meaning "gift." The name Dorothy contains the same word elements in reverse order...
- TheodotusTheodotusin workTheodotus is the name of:*Theodotus of Aetolia *Theodotus Hemiolius *Theodotus of Chios *Theodotus of Byzantium *Theodotus *Theodotus of Rome...
Thea
Thea
Thea may refer to:* Thea , the annual award from the Themed Entertainment Association* Thea , a 1993 television series starring Thea Vidale and Brandy Norwood* THEA , a test similar to the ACT and SAT...
is a feminine given name of similar origin.
Many other names beginning in "theo" do not necessarily derive from Greek, but rather the old Germanic "theud" meaning "people" or "folk". As these names are not common today and in the ancient times they were not spelled with "theo" it is unlikely this nickname was ever applied to these individuals. These names include:
- TheodoricTheodoricTheodoric is a widespread Germanic given name. First attested in the 5th century, it became widespread in the Germanic-speaking world, not least due to its most famous bearer, Theoderic the Great, king of the Ostrogoths....
- TheobaldTheobaldTheobald is a Germanic dithematic name, composed from the elements theo- "people" and bald "bold".Originating from Gotenburgand travelling with the Goths through Germany, the Roman Empire and into France, the name arrived in England with the Normans....
- TheodahadTheodahadTheodahad was the King of the Ostrogoths from 534 to 536 and a nephew of Theodoric the Great through his sister Amalafrida. He might have arrived in Italy with Theodoric and was an elderly man at the time of his succession...
- TheodemirTheodemirTheodemir was king of the Ostrogoths of the Amal Dynasty, and father of Theodoric the Great. He had two "brothers" actually brothers-in-law named Walamir and Widimir. Theodemir was Arian, while his wife Erelieva was Catholic...
Notable people named Theo
- Theo AdamsTheo AdamsTheo Adams , previously referred to as The-O, is a performance artist and director of the contemporary theatrical performance art group Theo Adams Company.-Personal life:...
, performance artist - Theo AlbrechtTheo AlbrechtTheodor Paul Albrecht , generally known as Theo Albrecht, was a German entrepreneur, who in 2010 was ranked by Forbes as the 31st richest person in the world, with a net worth of $16.7 billion. He owned and was the CEO of the Aldi Nord discount supermarket chain. In the US he owned the Trader Joe's...
(1922–2010), German businessman - Theo Wade BrownTheo Wade BrownTheo Wade Brown British carpenter, designer and engineer.Brown was also a bon viveur, amateur musician and genuine British eccentric...
, designer and engineer - Theo de RaadtTheo de RaadtTheo de Raadt , born May 19, 1968 in Pretoria, South Africa, is a software engineer who lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He is the founder and leader of the OpenBSD and OpenSSH projects, and was a founding member of the NetBSD project.- Childhood :...
, founder and leader of the OpenBSDOpenBSDOpenBSD is a Unix-like computer operating system descended from Berkeley Software Distribution , a Unix derivative developed at the University of California, Berkeley. It was forked from NetBSD by project leader Theo de Raadt in late 1995...
and OpenSSHOpenSSHOpenSSH is a set of computer programs providing encrypted communication sessions over a computer network using the SSH protocol...
projects - Theo Eastwood, (born 1986), modern day Renaissance ManRenaissance ManRenaissance Man is a 1994 comedy film, directed by Penny Marshall, starring Danny DeVito, Gregory Hines, James Remar, and Ed Begley, Jr. It also features Mark Wahlberg in one of his earliest roles....
- Theo EpsteinTheo EpsteinTheo Nathan Epstein is the President of Baseball Operations for the Chicago Cubs.On November 25, 2002, he became the youngest GM in the history of Major League Baseball when the Boston Red Sox hired him at the age of 28...
(born 1973), president of the Chicago CubsChicago CubsThe Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National... - Theo FleuryTheoren FleuryTheoren Wallace "Theo" Fleury is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player for the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, New York Rangers, and Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League , Tappara of Finland's SM-liiga, and the Belfast Giants of the UK's Elite Ice Hockey League...
, Canadian ice hockeyIce hockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player - Theo Huxtable, the fictional son of Cliff Huxtable on the series The Cosby ShowThe Cosby ShowThe Cosby Show is an American television situation comedy starring Bill Cosby, which aired for eight seasons on NBC from September 20, 1984 until April 30, 1992...
, played by Malcolm-Jamal WarnerMalcolm-Jamal WarnerMalcolm-Jamal Warner is an American television actor, film director, and musician. He is best known for his role as Theo Huxtable on the long-running NBC sitcom The Cosby Show. Additionally, he appeared as Malcolm McGee on the UPN sitcom Malcolm & Eddie. He is currently starring as Dr... - Theo JansenTheo JansenTheo Jansen is a Dutch artist and kinetic sculptor. He builds large works which resemble skeletons of animals, that are able to walk using wind power on the beaches of the Netherlands...
, Dutch artist and kinetic sculptorKinetic artKinetic art is art that contains moving parts or depends on motion for its effect. The moving parts are generally powered by wind, a motor or the observer. Kinetic art encompasses a wide variety of overlapping techniques and styles.-Kinetic sculpture:... - Theo PapaloukasTheodoros PapaloukasTheódoros "Teó" Papaloukás is a Greek professional basketball player. He currently plays as a point guard for the Israeli League, Adriatic League and Euroleague club Maccabi Tel Aviv....
(born 1977), Greek basketball player - Theo Norwood-Szundi, noted linguistics expert in the field of child development
- Theo RatliffTheo RatliffTheophilus Curtis Ratliff , better known as Theo Ratliff, is an American professional basketball player who last played with the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers. Primarily a center, he was an excellent shot-blocker who has led the league three times in blocks per game...
, an American professional basketball player (NBA) - Theo van GoghTheo van Gogh (film director)Theodoor "Theo" van Gogh was a Dutch film director, film producer, columnist, author and actor.Van Gogh worked with the Somali-born writer Ayaan Hirsi Ali to produce the film Submission, which criticized the treatment of women in Islam and aroused controversy among Muslims...
(1957–2004), Dutch film director - Theo Van Rock, live sound engineer of Rollins BandRollins BandRollins Band was an American rock band led by singer and songwriter Henry Rollins.They are best known for the songs "Low Self Opinion" and "Liar", which both earned heavy airplay on MTV in the early 1990s...
- Theo VonkurnatowskiTheo VonkurnatowskiTheo Vonkurnatowski aka Theo Von, is an American stand-up comedian. He currently lives in Santa Monica, California.Vonkurnatowski was born in Louisiana. He first became known as a contestant on MTV's Road Rules, and competed on several seasons of its spin-off show, Real World/Road Rules Challenge...
, reality TV star and comedian - Theo WalcottTheo WalcottTheo James Walcott is an English footballer of Jamaican descent who plays for Arsenal and the England national team. Walcott is a product of the Southampton F.C. Academy. He is a striker who is usually deployed on the right wing as a wide forward to exploit his speed...
, England footballer - Theo Rodríguez Campos, Argentinean singer