Thea
Say it: THEE-a/ˈθiːə/
GirlMeans goddess4 letters2 syllables
#207
in Ireland (2025)
#211 with spellings combined
21
babies in 2025
#136
best rank (2021)
432
babies since 1993
Up 33
10-year rank change
Thea through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 21 | #211 |
| 2024 | 23 | #193 |
| 2023 | 28 | #171 |
| 2022 | 31 | #167 |
| 2021 | 37 | #136 |
| 2020 | 21 | #212 |
| 2019 | 22 | #221 |
| 2018 | 22 | #219 |
| 2017 | 27 | #189 |
| 2016 | 27 | #187 |
| 2015 | 21 | #244 |
| 2014 | 22 | #229 |
| 2013 | 6 | #590 |
| 2012 | 10 | #438 |
| 2011 | 12 | #396 |
| 2010 | 9 | #477 |
| 2009 | 11 | #412 |
| 2008 | 8 | #504 |
| 2007 | 7 | #506 |
| 2006 | 7 | #465 |
| 2005 | 5 | #524 |
| 2004 | 9 | #340 |
| 2003 | 4 | #559 |
| 2002 | 4 | #512 |
| 2001 | 6 | #400 |
| 2000 | 5 | #413 |
| 1999 | 4 | #439 |
| 1998 | 6 | #345 |
| 1997 | 8 | #346 |
| 1996 | 5 | #429 |
| 1993 | 4 | #448 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0. Spellings with and without fadas are combined; the CSO only recorded fadas from 2018.
★ What does Thea mean?
Goddess
Greek, a short form of Dorothea and Theodora, from thea (goddess).
Say it right
THEEa
The "th" is soft, as in "theatre".
Not:TAY-a
The story of Thea
Thea began as a short form of longer names such as Dorothea and Theodora. Both go back to Greek, and the Greek word thea means goddess. Thea is now used as a name on its own, and Tea and Téa are related forms.
It stayed rare in Ireland for a long time. It first appears in the CSO records in 1993 and grew slowly through the 2000s and 2010s. It peaked in 2021, with 37 babies, when it reached number 136. In 2025, 21 girls were named Thea, and a few have been registered as Théa since the CSO began recording fadas.
The name has done much better in Northern Ireland, where it reached number 40 in 2019.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Thea (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Thea (name)
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, First Forenames Given to Babies Registered in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Thea | 21 | 429 |
| Théa | under 3 | 3 |
In Northern Ireland
#96 in 2025 with 21 babies. Best rank #40 (2019); 440 babies since 2004.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.