| Aster | Theo | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Star | gift of God |
| Origin | greek | greek |
| Gender | Unisex | Unisex |
| Pronunciation | AS-ter | THEE-oh |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 0 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2022 (73) | 2023 (4,140) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 3,945 |
| Trend | Rising | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Aster | Theo |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 359 | 20,784 |
| 2010s | 267 | 8,189 |
| 2000s | 41 | 1,386 |
| 1990s | 15 | 600 |
| 1980s | 11 | 540 |
| 1970s | 0 | 386 |
| 1960s | 0 | 323 |
| 1950s | 0 | 371 |
| 1940s | 6 | 440 |
| 1930s | 18 | 680 |
| 1920s | 29 | 980 |
| 1910s | 6 | 714 |
| 1900s | 0 | 226 |
| 1890s | 0 | 118 |
| 1880s | 0 | 93 |
From Greek 'aster' ('star'). It is also the name of the star-shaped daisy-family flower, which was itself named for the Greek word, giving the name a botanical as well as celestial sense.
Short form of Theodore (or feminine Theodora), from Greek theos 'God' + doron 'gift'. Carries the 'gift of God' sense of the full name; on its own the element theos means 'God'.
Theo is more popular than Aster today: about 3,945 US babies were given the name Theo in 2025, compared with 0 named Aster.
Aster means Star (greek origin), while Theo means gift of God (greek origin).
In US records, Aster first appears in 0 and Theo in 1880, so Aster has the longer recorded history.