The first name Timothy
A boy’s name from Greek meaning “to honour”, “god”.
Pronounced /ˈtɪməθi/ 3 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Greek origin
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 96 boys were named Timothy, making it the 418th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 691 births (#82).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Timothy with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Timothy at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 1,734 boys born in the United States were named Timothy, the 203rd most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1959, when 30,783 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Timothy in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Nicknames and spellings
Nicknames for Timothy
- Timmy
- Timmo
- Timbo
Famous people named Timothy
208 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Timothy DaltonBritish actor of stage, film and television, born 1946
- Timothy LearyAmerican psychologist (1920–1996)
- Timothy HuttonAmerican actor and director, born 1960
- Timothy SpallEnglish actor, born 1957
- Timothy SnyderAmerican historian (born 1969)
- Timothy OlyphantAmerican actor, born 1968
- Timothy McVeighAmerican domestic anti-government terrorist (1968–2001)
- Timothy WeahAmerican soccer player, born 2000
- Timothy CastagneBelgian association football player, born 1995
- Timothy Garton AshBritish historian and author, born 1955
- Timothy GowersBritish mathematician, born 1963
- Timothy GeithnerAmerican central banker and politician, born 1961
More Greek boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Timothy mean?
- Timothy means “to honour”, “god” in Greek.
- What is the origin of the name Timothy?
- From Middle French Timothée, from Latin Tīmotheus, from Ancient Greek Τῑμόθεος (Tīmótheos), from τῑμάω (tīmáō, “to honour”) + θεός (theós, “god”).
- How popular is the name Timothy?
- In 2025, 96 boys born in England and Wales were named Timothy, ranking 418th. Its peak was 1996, with 691 births.
- What are nicknames for Timothy?
- Common nicknames for Timothy include Timmy, Timmo, Timbo.
- Is Timothy a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 1,088,520 US babies named Timothy since 1880 were boys.
- When was Timothy most popular?
- 1959 in the United States, when 30,783 babies were named Timothy, its highest rank at 12th.
- How do you pronounce Timothy?
- Timothy is /ˈtɪməθi/, 3 syllables.
- Is Timothy also a surname?
- Yes. Timothy is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.