Teddy

Teddy is a pet form of Ted, which in turn is an English short form of the names Edward, meaning "the guardian of wealth," and Theodore, meaning "gift of God." These names also have their English counterparts in Edward and Theodore.

What does the name Teddy mean?

Teddy is used as a pet form of Ted, which is a short form of Edward and Theodore. In particular, in non-English-speaking regions, Teddy is occasionally used as a short form for other names like Thaddeus. The name Teddy is especially common in English-speaking areas, particularly in the USA, where it is often used as a given name, but rarely assigned as an independent first name. Notable bearers of the name include former English football player Teddy Sheringham and American jazz pianist Teddy Wilson. Former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt also bore the nickname "Teddy." According to legend, he played an indirect role in the naming of the famous "Teddy bear."

Where does the name Teddy come from?

The name Teddy has its roots in Old English and Ancient Greek and means "the guardian of wealth" or "gift of God." The Old English terms consist of ead, meaning wealth or riches, and weard, meaning guardian or protector. In Ancient Greek, the meanings derive from theós ‎(θεός), meaning God or divine, and dôron ‎(δῶρον), meaning gift or present. The language is primarily American English.

How do you pronounce Teddy?

The pronunciation of Teddy is two syllables and sounds soft. It is usually pronounced as "Ted-dy" [ˈtɛdi] and begins with an open E sound. The double consonant "-dd-" enhances the sound in the middle, while the bright-sounding I at the end adds a certain lightness. Teddy conveys a friendly and playful impression - it sounds youthful, warm, and inviting.

When is the name day of Teddy?

The name days for Teddy, as a variant of Edward, are on January 5, March 18, and October 13. For Theodore, the name days are on February 11, April 24, August 16, September 19, November 9, and November 11.

Popularity

In Germany, Teddy is among the fairly popular first names. Currently, it ranks 2,308th on the list of the most common male baby names. Its highest ranking was in 2008 at 1,535th. In the last ten years, Teddy has been chosen about 60 times as a first name, placing it 3,228th in the ten-year statistics. Between 2010 and 2024, it ranks 3,670th.

Nicknames & pet names

Bärchen / Ted / Teddeli

Famous people

• J. Teddy Garces (American actor)
• Teddy Altman (character from Grey's Anatomy)
• Teddy Billington (American cyclist)
• Teddy Bourne (British fencer)
• Teddy Coluca (actor from America)
• Teddy Gardner (boxer from Great Britain)
• Teddy Groves (English football player)
• Teddy Lightfoot (British footballer)
• Teddy Lucic (Swedish footballer)
• Teddy Lupin (Harry Potter character)
• Teddy McRae (Georgian musician)
• Teddy Morris (Canadian footballer)
• Teddy Page (film director from the Philippines)
• Teddy Parker (singer (schlager, folk music))
• Teddy Partridge (British footballer)
• Teddy Purcell (ice hockey player from Canada)
• Teddy Riley (American musician)
• Teddy Roosevelt (American president)
• Teddy Sampson (American actor)
• Teddy Seymour (sailor)