Meaning Greek "gift of God" (theos + doron); etymologically related to Dorothy through the same Greek roots.
Figure Multiple saints; principally Theodore the Studite (eighth-ninth century) in Orthodox tradition; multiple medieval Theodore saints in Catholic tradition.
Feast day November 11 (Orthodox, Theodore the Studite); November 9 (Catholic, Theodore of Tyron); various other feasts
Traditions ORTHODOXCATHOLICANGLICANPROTESTANT
In the Christian tradition
Theodore is the Greek "gift of God," carried by multiple major saints across the centuries. In Orthodox tradition, Theodore the Studite (the great defender of icons in the eighth century) and Theodore of Tyron are principal figures. In Catholic tradition, multiple medieval Theodores are honored. The name has come back into substantial modern Christian use across English-speaking families.
The name Theodore carries the meaning "gift of God" in Greek, etymologically related to Dorothy through the same Greek roots arranged in opposite order. Multiple major Theodores have shaped Christian tradition. Theodore the Studite (759-826) is the great defender of icons during the second iconoclast controversy and a major figure in Byzantine monasticism; the Orthodox calendar honors him on November 11. Theodore of Tyron (Theodore the Recruit, fourth century) is one of the principal warrior saints of Eastern Orthodox tradition. Multiple Theodore saints in Catholic tradition include Theodore of Tarsus, the seventh-century Archbishop of Canterbury. The Russian form Fyodor (made universally famous by Dostoevsky) and the German Theodor (Goethe; Adorno) are widely used. The name has come into substantial modern English-speaking Christian use, both in its full form and as the nickname Theo.