Ted
Say it: TED/tɛd/
BoyMeans short for Edward, Edmund or Theodore3 letters1 syllable
#170
in Ireland (2025)
#168 with spellings combined
29
babies in 2025
#92
best rank (2021)
582
babies since 1999
Up 42
10-year rank change
Ted through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (boys) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 29 | #168 |
| 2024 | 61 | #92 |
| 2023 | 42 | #131 |
| 2022 | 55 | #115 |
| 2021 | 70 | #92 |
| 2020 | 43 | #139 |
| 2019 | 39 | #149 |
| 2018 | 36 | #164 |
| 2017 | 14 | #305 |
| 2016 | 30 | #190 |
| 2015 | 26 | #210 |
| 2014 | 22 | #246 |
| 2013 | 26 | #219 |
| 2012 | 12 | #336 |
| 2011 | 19 | #263 |
| 2010 | 8 | #422 |
| 2009 | 7 | #429 |
| 2008 | 4 | #601 |
| 2007 | 9 | #342 |
| 2006 | 4 | #492 |
| 2005 | 8 | #302 |
| 2004 | 6 | #352 |
| 2003 | 4 | #423 |
| 2002 | 5 | #348 |
| 1999 | 3 | #379 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Ted mean?
Short for Edward, Edmund or Theodore
English pet form of Edward, Edmund, Theodore and similar names.
Say it right
TED
The story of Ted
Ted is a pet form of several names, most often Edward and Theodore, and also Edmund and Thaddeus. Edward is an Old English name built from words for wealth and guardian, while Theodore is Greek for “gift of God”. So Ted has no single meaning of its own. It takes its meaning from whichever longer name stands behind it.
Ted and Teddy were long used mainly as nicknames. The teddy bear was named after the American president Theodore Roosevelt. In Ireland the name belongs above all to Father Ted, the 1990s television comedy about three priests on Craggy Island.
Ted is now given as a full name. It first reached three or more boys in Ireland in 1999 and has grown since, with its best year in 2021, when 70 boys were named Ted and it reached number 92 combined. The numbers have bounced around since, from 61 boys in 2024 to 29 boys in 2025.
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Sources
- Wiktionary: Ted (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Ted (given name)
- CSO VSA50, Boys Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, Baby Names in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Nicknames
Teddy
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Ted | 29 | 582 |
In Northern Ireland
#270 in 2025 with 6 babies. Best rank #158 (2021); 102 babies since 2012.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.