Tim
Tim was the 3230th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 37 babies. Its best year was 1959, when it ranked 60th; the most babies were born in 1960 (6,931). Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,002 places. More babies were named Tim in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Meaning short form of Timothy; "honoring God" · Greek, English
Say it TIM /tɪm/
- Rank in 2025
- #3,230 boys, up 252 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 37boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19606,931 babies
- Total since 1880
- 83,546babies recorded
What does the name Tim mean?
Tim is the usual short form of Timothy, and it is often given on its own. Timothy comes from the Greek Timotheos, made of timaō, "I honor", and theos, "god", so it means "honoring God" or "honored by God". In the New Testament Timothy is a companion of Paul, and two letters are addressed to him. Wiktionary also lists Tim as a rare short form of the Greek name Timon.
τιμάω (Ancient Greek, “I honor”)θεός (Ancient Greek, “god”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Timothy, Timmy, Timon.
See also: Greek names, names that mean God.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Tim', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Timothy', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Timothy', DMNES (Durham University)
Nicknames for Tim
The usual nicknames for Tim are Timmy. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Tim in the last five years, 45 were named Timmy, against 112 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timmy · also for Timothy | Traditional | #6,107 | 91 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Tims go by each one.
Tim popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 188 since 1949.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,230 | 37 |
| 2020 | #3,482 | 32 |
| 2010 | #2,094 | 65 |
| 2000 | #1,388 | 91 |
| 1990 | #1,268 | 77 |
| 1980 | #677 | 165 |
| 1970 | #199 | 1,324 |
| 1960 | #60 | 6,931 |
| 1950 | #242 | 754 |
| 1940 | #308 | 333 |
| 1930 | #839 | 61 |
| 1920 | #851 | 64 |
| 1910 | #478 | 34 |
| 1900 | #516 | 22 |
| 1890 | #455 | 17 |
| 1880 | #563 | 12 |
How popular is Tim, counting every spelling?
Tim has no other common spelling that sounds the same.
How many kids will share the name Tim?
37 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Tim (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Tim born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 226 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Tim.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Tim?
About 60,400 people born in the US named Tim are alive today, with a median age of 64; half are between 60 and 67. That makes Tim a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Tim by state
How common Tim was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in California (1.5×). In 47 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Tim: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Tim, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Tim · Sibling names for Tim
Tim is also a nickname for Timothy.
Questions about the name Tim
What does Tim mean?
Tim means “short form of Timothy; "honoring God"” (Greek, English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Tim?
Tim was the 3230th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 37 babies. Its best year was 1959, when it ranked 60th; the most babies were born in 1960 (6,931). Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,002 places. More babies were named Tim in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Is Tim a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Tim in the US.
Where is Tim most popular?
In 2021–2025, Tim was most common in California (0.04 per 1,000 boys), followed by Washington and Florida.