Theodora (Greek: Θεοδώρα, Theodōra) is a feminine given name, the feminine version of Theodore, from the Greek θεός theos 'god' + δῶρον doron 'gift'.[1][2] Theodora is first attested in Mycenaean Greek, written in the Linear B syllabic script, as 𐀳𐀃𐀈𐀨, te-o-do-ra.[3] The name Dorothy (Greek: Δωροθέα, Dōrothea) contains the same word elements in reverse order. It was the name of several saints and queens, including Theodora, a 6th-century Byzantine empress honored as a saint in the early Christian Church. Teodora, a variant, is among the top 10 most popular names for girls born in Serbia between 2003-2005.[4]
 The sixth century Byzantine empress Theodora is one famous bearer of the name. | |
| Gender | female |
|---|---|
| Origin | |
| Word/name | Greek |
| Meaning | "gift of God" |
| Other names | |
| Nickname(s) | Dora, Thea, Tia |
| Related names | Dorothea, Dorothy, Teodora |
Feminine variants edit
- Dievodora (Lithuanian)
- Bohdana (Ukrainian)
- Božidarka (Serbian)
- Dora (English, Spanish, Bulgarian)
- Théodore (French)
- Feodora, Fedora - Феодора, Федора (Russian)
- Tea, Teja (Finnish), German, Scandinavian, Slovenian, Croatian
- Teddi, Teddie, Teddy (English)
- Teodóra (Hungarian)
- Teodora, Theodhora, Dhora (Albanian)
- Teodora/Теодора (Bulgarian, Macedonian, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Swedish, Serbian, Bulgarian, Macedonian)
- Teodora (Polish)
- Thea (English, German, Scandinavian)
- Theda (German)
- Todora/Todorka (Bulgarian, Macedonian)
- Θεοδώρα, Δώρα, Ντόρα (Greek)
- Tidora (Aramaic/Syriac)
- Tedora (in Eritrea)
Fictional characters edit
- Theodora, the Wicked Witch of the West (played by Mila Kunis) in 2013 Disney fantasy adventure film, Oz: The Great and Powerful (2013).
See also edit
- Theodora (disambiguation) - list of persons
- Teodora - list of persons
- Theodosia (disambiguation) - list of persons
Notes edit
- ^ Behind the Name
- ^ δῶρον, θεός. Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; A Greek–English Lexicon at the Perseus Project.
- ^ "te-o-do-ra-qe". Minoan Linear A & Mycenaean Linear B. Deaditerranean.
- ^ Most popular Serbian names