Teodor
(source: State Statistical Office, 2025)
1,766
1,766 people in North Macedonia carry this name
Meaning
The name Teodor comes from the Greek Θεόδωρος, formed from θεός, meaning “god,” and δῶρον, meaning “gift.” Its core meaning is therefore “gift of God.” The provided data also notes that Dorothea is derived from the same roots in the reverse order. The Slavic form of this name is Božidar.
Besides the Greek interpretation, one source mentions another possible explanation: that the name may be connected with the old Hebrew Ionathan, also meaning “gift of God.” This is a separate interpretation from the Greek Θεόδωρος, so the two explanations should be understood as different possible links mentioned in the sources.
The name Teodor was borne by several saints, including Theodore of Amasea, a 4th-century Greek soldier; Theodore of Tarsus, a 7th-century archbishop; and Theodore the Studite, a 9th-century Byzantine monk. It is also stated that the name was common in classical Greece, and because of the saints who carried it and its favorable meaning, it spread throughout the Christian world, especially among Eastern Christians. According to folk tradition, the name was given to a child whom the parents had long and eagerly awaited, seeing the child as a gift from God.