| Theo | Aster | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | gift of God | Star |
| Origin | greek | greek |
| Gender | Unisex | Unisex |
| Pronunciation | THEE-oh | AS-ter |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 0 |
| Peak year | 2023 (4,140) | 2022 (73) |
| In 2025 | 3,945 | 0 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Theo | Aster |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 20,784 | 359 |
| 2010s | 8,189 | 267 |
| 2000s | 1,386 | 41 |
| 1990s | 600 | 15 |
| 1980s | 540 | 11 |
| 1970s | 386 | 0 |
| 1960s | 323 | 0 |
| 1950s | 371 | 0 |
| 1940s | 440 | 6 |
| 1930s | 680 | 18 |
| 1920s | 980 | 29 |
| 1910s | 714 | 6 |
| 1900s | 226 | 0 |
| 1890s | 118 | 0 |
| 1880s | 93 | 0 |
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'.
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.
Theo is more popular than Aster today: about 3,945 US babies were given the name Theo in 2025, compared with 0 named Aster.
Theo means gift of God (greek origin), while Aster means Star (greek origin).
In US records, Theo first appears in 1880 and Aster in 0, so Aster has the longer recorded history.