to the throne in 534, he was in his mid-fifties. According to historian Massimiliano Vitiello, the Gothic name "Theodahad" combines the elements þiuda ('people') and haþus ('conflict').

Sources indicate that Theodahad developed an interest in Plato (likely read in Latin translation) and Latin literature. He amassed significant wealth through large property acquisitions in Tuscany. Procopius, in his History of the Wars, notes that Theodahad sometimes used violent methods or encroachments against neighbours