| Theodora | Eleni | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | gift of God | Torch; bright light (disputed) |
| Origin | greek | greek |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | thee-ə-DOR-ə | eh-LEH-nee |
| Syllables | 4 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 0 |
| Peak year | 2022 (426) | 2024 (255) |
| In 2025 | 384 | 0 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Theodora | Eleni |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 2,234 | 1,216 |
| 2010s | 1,126 | 1,420 |
| 2000s | 447 | 1,319 |
| 1990s | 457 | 1,275 |
| 1980s | 428 | 762 |
| 1970s | 436 | 469 |
| 1960s | 715 | 239 |
| 1950s | 1,041 | 100 |
| 1940s | 1,411 | 22 |
| 1930s | 1,099 | 0 |
| 1920s | 1,597 | 0 |
| 1910s | 994 | 0 |
| 1900s | 342 | 0 |
| 1890s | 220 | 0 |
| 1880s | 107 | 0 |
Feminine of Theodore, from Greek theos 'God' + doron 'gift', meaning 'gift of God'. Shares its elements with Dorothea in reversed order.
Modern Greek form of Helen/Helene. The etymology is uncertain: most often linked to Greek 'hele' ('torch') or a root meaning 'shine/bright', with some scholars instead proposing a connection to the moon or a pre-Greek word of unknown meaning. The 'torch/bright light' reading is traditional but not settled.
Theodora is more popular than Eleni today: about 384 US babies were given the name Theodora in 2025, compared with 0 named Eleni.
Theodora means gift of God (greek origin), while Eleni means Torch; bright light (disputed) (greek origin).
In US records, Theodora first appears in 1880 and Eleni in 0, so Eleni has the longer recorded history.