Theory
The Story of Theory
As a girl name
Theory first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 2006, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2023, when 19 Theorys were born — ranking #6,162 that year. As of 2026, Theory ranks #6,457 for girls with 18 births, rising sharply (+87% over the past five years). In total, more than 177 Theorys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2000s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Theory first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 2009, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2022, when 14 Theorys were born — ranking #6,143 that year. As of 2026, Theory ranks #9,864 for boys with 7 births, gradually rising (+12%). In total, more than 81 Theorys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2000s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Theory
Phonetically similar names — useful when Theory is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Theory
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About the name Theory
Theory is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2006 and has accumulated 177 births in the dataset. Theory's peak popularity came in 2023 when it ranked #6,162. Use the chart and map above to compare Theory's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2023 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "T" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.