Theo

Theo started life as a nickname rather than a name of its own. Wiktionary lists it as short for Theodore and, less often, for Theobald, Theophilus, Theodoric or even the girls' name Theodora. Behind the Name agrees that it shortens Theodore, Theobald and other Theo- names. Most of these begin with the Greek theos, 'god', so the usual reading of Theo is Theodore's 'gift of God', with 'friend of God' if you have Theophilus in mind.

One long form breaks the pattern. Theobald is Germanic, not Greek: its first part comes from theod, 'people', joined to bald, 'bold'. A Theo named after a Theobald therefore carries a different meaning altogether, a reminder that identical spellings can hide unrelated roots.

In English the name is said THEE-oh, with the soft th of 'thin'. That sets it apart from Germany, the Netherlands and France, where the h is silent and the first syllable sounds like 'tay'. The French write it Théo, with an acute accent.

Two short syllables leave room for a fuller middle name, such as Theo Alexander, Theo Benedict or Theo Nathaniel. Brothers called Felix, Jude or Arlo keep a similar classic feel, while Iris, Clara or Ada sit nicely beside Theo for a sister.