Timothy
From Middle French Timothée, from Latin Tīmotheus, from Ancient Greek Τῑμόθεος (Tīmótheos), from τῑμάω (tīmáō, “to honour”) + θεός (theós, “god”).
Every Timothy since 1880 — 1,088,520 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Timothy
Timothy is moderately common for boys in the United States, ranked #203 in 2025 with 1,734 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 1,088,520 American babies have been named Timothy. Its peak came in 1959, when 30,862 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1950s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Timothy stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Timothy year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | 1,734 | #203 |
| 2024 | — | — | 1,721 | #207 |
| 2023 | — | — | 1,747 | #211 |
| 2022 | — | — | 1,848 | #202 |
| 2021 | — | — | 1,923 | #199 |
| 2020 | — | — | 2,011 | #192 |
| 2019 | — | — | 2,092 | #188 |
| 2018 | — | — | 2,356 | #165 |
| 2017 | — | — | 2,420 | #163 |
| 2016 | 5 | #18,648 | 2,674 | #152 |
| 2015 | 5 | #18,884 | 2,802 | #147 |
| 2014 | — | — | 3,012 | #134 |
| 2013 | — | — | 3,068 | #124 |
| 2012 | 5 | #19,317 | 3,123 | #118 |
| 2011 | — | — | 3,233 | #123 |
| 2010 | 5 | #19,611 | 3,454 | #114 |
| 2009 | — | — | 3,773 | #109 |
| 2008 | 6 | #17,334 | 4,095 | #107 |
| 2007 | 7 | #15,355 | 4,437 | #99 |
| 2006 | 5 | #19,845 | 4,706 | #93 |
| 2005 | 8 | #12,922 | 5,034 | #84 |
| 2004 | 33 | #4,276 | 5,234 | #79 |
| 2003 | 13 | #8,458 | 5,487 | #76 |
| 2002 | 9 | #11,035 | 6,020 | #70 |
| 2001 | 13 | #8,163 | 6,423 | #67 |
| 2000 | 9 | #10,683 | 7,261 | #58 |
| 1995 | 18 | #5,429 | 9,788 | #40 |
| 1990 | 60 | #2,173 | 15,700 | #30 |
| 1985 | 133 | #1,095 | 17,140 | #26 |
| 1980 | 105 | #1,249 | 19,146 | #20 |
| 1975 | 105 | #1,118 | 15,947 | #22 |
| 1970 | 141 | #919 | 22,422 | #20 |
| 1965 | 112 | #981 | 28,334 | #12 |
| 1960 | 89 | #1,161 | 30,498 | #11 |
| 1955 | 47 | #1,496 | 20,738 | #22 |
| 1950 | 27 | #1,869 | 10,499 | #32 |
| 1945 | 10 | #3,112 | 3,591 | #70 |
| 1940 | — | — | 1,385 | #135 |
| 1935 | 5 | #4,834 | 371 | #281 |
| 1930 | 5 | #5,184 | 306 | #316 |
| 1925 | 5 | #5,697 | 319 | #319 |
| 1920 | — | — | 269 | #366 |
| 1915 | — | — | 253 | #332 |
| 1910 | — | — | 75 | #280 |
| 1905 | — | — | 73 | #226 |
| 1900 | — | — | 76 | #229 |
| 1895 | — | — | 60 | #228 |
| 1890 | — | — | 56 | #223 |
| 1885 | — | — | 64 | #199 |
| 1880 | — | — | 70 | #183 |
Famous people named Timothy
- Timothy Dalton Actor · b. 1946
- Timothy Leary Psychologist · 1920–1996
- Timothy McVeigh Extremist · 1968–2001
- Timothy Spall Actor · b. 1957
- Timothy Hutton Actor · b. 1960
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Timothy mean?
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?
Timothy ranked #203 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 1,734 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Timothy?
1,088,520 babies have been named Timothy in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Timothy most popular?
Timothy peaked in 1959, when 30,862 newborns received the name.
Is Timothy a boy or girl name?
Timothy is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Timothy rising or falling?
Timothy is declining — less popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Timothy?
Well-known people named Timothy include Timothy Dalton (actor), Timothy Leary (psychologist), Timothy McVeigh (extremist).