About the name Teodora / Theodora
Etymology & meaning
Teodora is the feminine of the Greek Θεόδωρος — "gift of God". The short Teya and Tea have long stood on their own; the masculine Teodor runs parallel to the folk form Todor.
History & patron saint
The name was borne by Byzantine empresses and by the Bulgarian tsaritsa Theodora, wife of Tsar Ivan Alexander. The name day is the movable Todorovden, first Saturday of Great Lent, which folk tradition also reads as a women's feast.
Traditions & customs
On Todorovden young brides knead horse-shaped ritual breads and hand them out for health; celebrants receive guests, and in horse-keeping regions the day is a fair around the races.
Popularity & notable bearers
Teodora is among Bulgaria's favourite female names of the 21st century, with the short Teya steadily following it among newborns.