Timothy

Boy name variations

Family name origins & meanings

• English : from the New Testament Greek personal name Timotheos, from Greek timē ‘honor’ + theos ‘God’. This was the name of a companion of St. Paul who, according to tradition, was stoned to death for denouncing the worship of Diana in Ephesus. This was not in general use in England as a given name until Tudor times, so, insofar as it is an English surname at all, it is a late formation (e.g. in Wales, where surnames came into use only relatively recently). In America it also represents an adoption of the English given name in place of a cognate in Greek (Timotheou, Timotheopoulos) or any of various other European languages.
• Irish : adoption of the English personal name as an equivalent of Tumulty.

Famous people with this first name

Popularity

According to Social Security Administration data, Timothy has been steadily decreasing in popularity. It fell out of the top 100 in 2008 and the top 150 in 2016. Despite the decline, Timothy still maintains a spot in the top 200.

However, it is the 19th most popular name on FamilyEducation.com.

According to Google search data analysis, in the last five years Timothy was at its peak popularity in January 2018.

Timothy is a New Testament name that peaked in the 1960s. Saint Timothy was a companion of Saint Paul. Timothy has countless notable namesakes, including Tim Burton, Timothy Busfield, Timothy James Bottoms, Timothy James 'Tim' Curry, Timothy Richard "Tim" Tebow, and Timothy Alan Dick (birth name of Tim Allen). It's been a very popular name in pop culture, appearing in A Christmas Carol, The Simpsons, Dumbo, and The Fairly Odd Parents. It also has a botanical edge due to Timothy grass.

Where is it Popular?

Timothy was searched for most often in the following states:

Nicknames for Timothy

• Tim
• Timmy

Pairs well with these middle names