Timothy
Timothy was the 203rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,734 babies. Its best year was 1960, when it ranked 11th; the most babies were born in 1959 (30,783). Over the last ten years it has moved down 56 places. More babies were named Timothy in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Meaning honoring God · Greek
Say it TIM-uh-thee /ˈtɪməθi/
- Rank in 2025
- #203 boys, down 11 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,734boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 195930,783 babies
- Total since 1880
- 1,088,520babies recorded
What does the name Timothy mean?
Timothy comes from the Greek Timotheos, made of timao, 'I honor', and theos, 'god', so 'honoring God' or 'honored by God'. DMNES lists the 1st-century Timothy, Paul's companion, to whom two New Testament letters are addressed, as well as later martyrs. The Wycliffite Bible of 1395 spelled it Timothe. Tim and Timmy are its short forms, and Timothée and Timoteo are its French and Spanish forms.
τιμάω (Ancient Greek, “I honor”)θεός (Ancient Greek, “god”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Tim, Timmy, Timoteo, Timothée.
See also: Greek names, names that mean God.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Timothy', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Wiktionary, entry 'Timothy', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Timothy (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Timothy
The usual nicknames for Timothy are Tim and Timmy. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Timothy in the last five years, 2 were named Tim, against 1 twenty years earlier.
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Timothys go by each one.
Timothy popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 4,328 since 1921.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #203 | 1,734 |
| 2020 | #192 | 2,011 |
| 2010 | #114 | 3,454 |
| 2000 | #58 | 7,261 |
| 1990 | #30 | 15,700 |
| 1980 | #20 | 19,146 |
| 1970 | #20 | 22,422 |
| 1960 | #11 | 30,498 |
| 1950 | #32 | 10,499 |
| 1940 | #135 | 1,385 |
| 1930 | #316 | 306 |
| 1920 | #366 | 269 |
| 1910 | #280 | 75 |
| 1900 | #229 | 76 |
| 1890 | #223 | 56 |
| 1880 | #183 | 70 |
How popular is Timothy, counting every spelling?
Timothy is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #220 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #203 for Timothy on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,770 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timothy | 1,734 | #203 | 8,973 |
| Timothee | 29 | #3,841 | 117 |
| Timmothy | 7 | #10,570 | 32 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Timothy?
1,734 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Timothy (0.48 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Timothy 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 5 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Timothy.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Timothy?
About 898,400 people born in the US named Timothy are alive today, with a median age of 52; half are between 38 and 63. That makes Timothy mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
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.
Timothy by state
How common Timothy was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Alaska (2.9×), Montana (2.3×), Mississippi (2.0×), South Carolina (1.8×), New Hampshire (1.8×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in South Dakota, Hawaii, California.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Timothy: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Timothy, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Timothy · Sibling names for Timothy
Questions about the name Timothy
What does Timothy mean?
Timothy means “honoring God” (Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Timothy?
Timothy was the 203rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,734 babies. Its best year was 1960, when it ranked 11th; the most babies were born in 1959 (30,783). Over the last ten years it has moved down 56 places. More babies were named Timothy in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Is Timothy a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Timothy in the US.
Where is Timothy most popular?
In 2021–2025, Timothy was most common in Alaska (3.02 per 1,000 boys), followed by Montana and Mississippi.