Timothy

Timothy - A very unique male name

Timothy appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #289. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Timothy and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Timothy? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Timothy. The baby boy name Timothy was given to 1,724 baby boys in 2025, ranking #202 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 851 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Timothy peaked in popularity 66 years ago in 1960 on position 11.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Timothy, 1-5?

Timothy is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Timothy is currently topping the baby name charts in Mississippi at position #82 - and is the least popular in Colorado at position #362.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Timothy is where you live.

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Timothy origin and meaning

Greek

From Greek Timotheos, 'honouring God' — time, 'honour', plus theos, 'god'

Timothy is the anglicised Timotheos, the name of Saint Paul's young companion in the New Testament. It was a major name of the postwar decades, peaking in 1959 with over 30,000 births a year, and has declined slowly ever since into uncommon-for-babies territory.

Attested etymology

Timothy is a 7 letter name with 3 syllables.

To see famous people named Timothy, pop culture references for the name Timothy and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Timothy

We've found the following names that sound similar to Timothy, sorted by popularity.

Timmothy / Timoteo / Tahmid / Tonatiuh / Timothee / Timonthy / Timothey / Tandy / Thimothy / Temitayo /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Timothy

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Timothy a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Timothy?

3 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

TIM-uh-thee · /ˈtɪməθi/

Around the world

• Timoteo (Spanish) — The Spanish and Italian form
• Timothée (French) — The French form, newly fashionable through Timothée Chalamet
• Timotheus (German) — The German and Latin form

Spellings and nicknames

• Timothee — Unaccented French spelling used in the US
• Timmothy — A common misspelling

Nicknames: TimTimmy

Famous bearers

• Saint Timothy — Companion of the Apostle Paul, addressed in two New Testament letters (Biblical) Historical
• Timothée Chalamet — Actor known for Call Me by Your Name and Dune; he spells his name the French way, Timothée (b. 1995) Contemporary

Style

BiblicalClassic

Why parents choose it

Timothy is a gentle New Testament classic now rare among babies; its fame today runs through Timothée Chalamet, whose French spelling has refreshed the name's image.

Worth knowing

• Tim and especially Timmy read as dated mid-century nicknames
• The fashionable bearer spells it Timothée, which will prompt spelling questions