Timothy Boy

Popularity: #199 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: TIM-uh-thee //ˈtɪməθi//

Origin: Greek; Hebrew

Meaning: Greek: 'honoring God'; Hebrew: 'God's honor'

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Timothy originates from the Greek name Τιμόθεος (Timotheos), which is composed of the elements 'timao' meaning 'to honor' and 'theos' meaning 'God.' This etymological foundation suggests a meaning of 'honoring God.' The name was adopted into Latin as Timotheus before making its way into Old French and eventually into Middle English as Timothy, where it became established in the English-speaking world by the late Middle Ages. Timothy is notably recognized in Christian tradition, particularly as a companion of the Apostle Paul in the New Testament.

He is mentioned in several epistles, including 1 and 2 Timothy, which are attributed to Paul and provide guidance to Timothy in his ministry. These letters date back to the first century CE and have played a significant role in Christian theology and ecclesiastical history, contributing to the name's enduring presence in Christian communities.

The name Timothy has also been associated with various saints, including Saint Timothy, who is commemorated in the Christian liturgical calendar on January 26. His legacy as a faithful disciple and leader in the early Church has reinforced the name's significance within Christian culture.

Additionally, Timothy has been used in various literary works and translations, including the King James Bible, which helped to solidify its place in religious and cultural contexts. Symbolically, the name Timothy conveys themes of faithfulness and devotion, reflecting its biblical roots.

The diminutive form Tim has emerged as a common variant, further illustrating the name's adaptability and resonance across different cultures and eras.

Famous people named Timothy

In this section, you will find notable people named Timothy. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Timothy who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Timothy who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Timothy Dalton is an actor best known for James Bond films The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill.

Timothy Olyphant is an actor best known for Justified, Deadwood, and Santa Clarita Diet.

Timothy Spall is an actor best known for Mr. Turner, The King's Speech, and Harry Potter series.

Timothy Hutton is an actor best known for Ordinary People, The Last Seduction, and Leverage.

Timothy McVeigh is known as the perpetrator of the Oklahoma City bombing.

Fictional characters named Timothy

The following list of fictional characters named Timothy is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Timothy is a fictional character from the children's book series The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes by Beatrix Potter. He is a clever little squirrel who gets into various adventures in the woods.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Timothy, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

ThomasTobiasTitusTannerTroy

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Timothy. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

TobiasTitusTimmyTimonTalonTobynTimo

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Timothy was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Timothy has ranked as high as #19 nationally, which occurred in 1959, and has been most popular in California, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Illinois.

In the past 5 years the name Timothy has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Timothy is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Timothy was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Timothy.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 1,734 1,734 0
2024 1,721 1,721 0
2023 1,747 1,747 0
2022 1,848 1,848 0
2021 1,923 1,923 0
2020 2,011 2,011 0
2019 2,092 2,092 0
2018 2,356 2,356 0
2017 2,420 2,420 0
2016 2,679 2,674 5
2015 2,807 2,802 5
2014 3,012 3,012 0
2013 3,068 3,068 0
2012 3,128 3,123 5
2011 3,233 3,233 0
2010 3,459 3,454 5
2009 3,773 3,773 0
2008 4,101 4,095 6
2007 4,444 4,437 7
2006 4,711 4,706 5
2005 5,042 5,034 8
2004 5,267 5,234 33
2003 5,500 5,487 13
2002 6,029 6,020 9
2001 6,436 6,423 13
2000 7,270 7,261 9
1999 7,607 7,593 14
1998 7,860 7,845 15
1997 8,516 8,502 14
1996 8,938 8,919 19
1995 9,806 9,788 18
1994 10,786 10,767 19
1993 11,666 11,640 26
1992 12,893 12,864 29
1991 14,183 14,154 29
1990 15,760 15,700 60
1989 16,489 16,427 62
1988 16,922 16,807 115
1987 17,516 17,398 118
1986 16,982 16,875 107
1985 17,273 17,140 133
1984 17,112 16,987 125
1983 16,488 16,363 125
1982 17,597 17,464 133
1981 18,373 18,228 145
1980 19,251 19,146 105
1979 19,206 19,077 129
1978 19,704 19,597 107
1977 18,079 17,977 102
1976 16,738 16,620 118
1975 16,052 15,947 105
1974 15,967 15,890 77
1973 16,130 16,036 94
1972 17,719 17,605 114
1971 20,204 20,089 115
1970 22,563 22,422 141
1969 23,465 23,358 107
1968 26,634 26,496 138
1967 28,714 28,587 127
1966 29,038 28,923 115
1965 28,446 28,334 112
1964 28,181 28,090 91
1963 27,286 27,187 99
1962 27,202 27,111 91
1961 28,353 28,253 100
1960 30,587 30,498 89
1959 30,862 30,783 79
1958 28,878 28,797 81
1957 24,789 24,733 56
1956 23,336 23,288 48
1955 20,785 20,738 47
1954 17,469 17,427 42
1953 15,222 15,187 35
1952 14,196 14,167 29
1951 12,717 12,705 12
1950 10,526 10,499 27
1949 9,365 9,346 19
1948 8,060 8,043 17
1947 6,760 6,747 13
1946 5,173 5,152 21
1945 3,601 3,591 10
1944 2,765 2,754 11
1943 2,591 2,578 13
1942 2,285 2,275 10
1941 1,639 1,632 7
1940 1,385 1,385 0
1939 1,074 1,066 8
1938 892 882 10
1937 674 674 0
1936 439 439 0
1935 376 371 5
1934 336 336 0
1933 346 346 0
1932 341 341 0
1931 344 344 0
1930 311 306 5
1929 292 292 0
1928 302 297 5
1927 325 325 0
1926 274 274 0
1925 324 319 5
1924 322 322 0
1923 325 325 0
1922 288 288 0
1921 257 249 8
1920 269 269 0
1919 249 249 0
1918 285 285 0
1917 260 260 0
1916 246 246 0
1915 253 253 0
1914 174 174 0
1913 160 160 0
1912 128 128 0
1911 88 88 0
1910 75 75 0
1909 67 67 0
1908 67 67 0
1907 81 81 0
1906 52 52 0
1905 73 73 0
1904 58 58 0
1903 49 49 0
1902 62 62 0
1901 62 62 0
1900 76 76 0
1899 60 60 0
1898 75 75 0
1897 58 58 0
1896 71 71 0
1895 60 60 0
1894 71 71 0
1893 62 62 0
1892 71 71 0
1891 66 66 0
1890 56 56 0
1889 82 82 0
1888 76 76 0
1887 54 54 0
1886 74 74 0
1885 64 64 0
1884 77 77 0
1883 62 62 0
1882 71 71 0
1881 63 63 0
1880 70 70 0

Top States for Timothy (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
TX 150
9%
CA 137
8%
FL 101
6%
NY 90
5%
OH 88
5%
PA 79
5%
NC 77
5%
GA 64
4%
IL 54
3%
AL 51
3%
VA 50
3%
IN 49
3%
MA 47
3%
MO 44
3%
KY 44
3%
MI 43
3%
TN 43
3%
WA 39
2%
WI 34
2%
SC 34
2%
NJ 31
2%
CO 30
2%
AZ 28
2%
MN 27
2%
MD 24
1%
UT 23
1%
LA 22
1%
MS 17
1%
OK 17
1%
KS 16
1%
CT 14
1%
ID 14
1%
IA 13
1%
OR 12
1%
NV 11
1%
MT 10
1%
AR 10
1%
AK 9
1%
WV 9
1%
ME 7
0%
NE 6
0%
NH 6
0%
DE 5
0%
ND 5
0%
RI 5
0%
NM 5
0%