girl's name
Thea
THEE-a
- Origin Greek
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 100 (E&W)
- Births on record 53,174
the United States
#353
2025 births
Thea is a girl's name of Greek origin meaning "goddess." It comes from thea, the feminine of theos, god, and is also used as a short form of Dorothea and Theodora, which contain the same root.
- Thea is a name of Greek origin.
- Peaked in US records in 2018, when 1,209 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade in US records.
- Today about 1 in 768 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Thea over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. Thea is more popular in England and Wales — see the country table below. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 86 |
| 1890s | 105 |
| 1900s | 87 |
| 1910s | 157 |
| 1920s | 259 |
| 1930s | 207 |
| 1940s | 431 |
| 1950s | 1,027 |
| 1960s | 1,099 |
| 1970s | 1,008 |
| 1980s | 1,022 |
| 1990s | 952 |
| 2000s | 1,362 |
| 2010s | 6,408 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 5,908 |
What Thea means
Thea means goddess, or divine. Used on its own it is the plain Greek noun; as a short form of Dorothea it carries the sense of god within a compound meaning gift of God.
Where Thea comes from
Thea is the Greek thea, goddess, the feminine of theos. In myth Theia was a Titan, mother of Helios the sun, Selene the moon and Eos the dawn, and her name was glossed as sight or shining — the ancient Greeks connected it to the light by which things are seen. Thea also shortens Dorothea, gift of God, and Theodora, the same elements reversed, both of which are far older as given names. Modern astronomy uses Theia for the hypothesised planet whose collision with the early Earth is thought to have formed the Moon, keeping the mother-of-the-moon association alive.
Thea in use
Our data shows Thea peaking in 2018 and still rising, at 66 in England and Wales against 353 in the United States. It first appears in our records in 1880. Its recent growth belongs to the wider British preference for short vowel-led girls' names — Thea, Mia, Ava, Eva, Isla.
How popular is Thea?
In 2025, Thea was given to 686 babies in England and Wales, ranking #66 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Where Thea is used
England and Wales figures withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year. The historical chart above uses US records, the only series running back to 1880. Data & sources.
How Thea is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Théa | Théa is Thea written with an acute accent in France, and the spelling parents there overwhelmingly choose: it ranks #51 in France, against #1,060 for Thea. | 11,373 |
| Thëa | Thëa is a rare spelling of Thea, written with a diaeresis and recorded about 55 times, mostly in France. | 55 |
| Thèa | Thèa is a rare spelling of Thea, written with a grave accent and recorded about 5 times, mostly in France. | 5 |
Names that peaked alongside Thea
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Thea also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Thea over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Thea
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Thea in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Thea
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Thea — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Thea
What does the name Thea mean?
Thea means "goddess," from the Greek thea, feminine of theos, god.
Is Thea short for Dorothea?
It can be, and for Theodora. Both contain the same theos element, and both are older as given names.
Who was Theia in Greek myth?
A Titan, mother of the sun, moon and dawn. Astronomers named the planet thought to have formed the Moon after her.
How popular is the name Thea?
In 2025, Thea was given to 686 babies in England and Wales, ranking #66 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Is Thea a girl's or a boy's name?
Thea is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Thea?
Thea has 2 syllables.
When was Thea most popular?
Thea peaked in 2018, when 1,209 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Thea?
Thea is usually shortened to Tee.
Is Thea a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Thea currently ranks #51 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.