Hi Jennifer!

I recently saw the name Theda (pronounced thay-duh). I don’t know much about this name, and it’s not in your database. I would love to name a future daughter Theda Josephine. Can you give me any more information on the name Theda? Thanks!

Theda Bara
Theda Bara
 
~Sarah

Dear Sarah,

I couldn’t believe the name Theda was not in our database! (It is now).  Theda is traditionally a shortened version of the Greek name Theodora, which means “Divine Gift.” The most famous Theda is actress Theda Bara, whose name was actually Theodosia Burr Goodman.

Thanks for pointing out our omission!

Sincerely,

Jennifer

Headshot of Jennifer Moss

Jennifer Moss (she/her) is the founder of BabyNames.com, author of The Baby Names Workbook, and Producer of The Baby Names Podcast. Jennifer is widely regarded as the leading expert on popular baby name trends and the naming process, serving as the authoritative source on the subject for national and international media.

Jennifer entered the tech arena in the 80s as a software developer and database architect, and became a pioneer in the Internet industry. In addition to operating BabyNames.com, Jennifer owns a web development agency in central California.