
The short answer
Timothy is a masculine name used in English and Biblical. Behind the Name describes it this way: "English form of the Greek name Τιμόθεος (Timotheos) meaning ‘honouring God’, derived from τιμάω (timao) meaning ‘to honour’ and θεός (theos) meaning ‘god’. Saint Timothy was a companion of Paul on his missionary journeys and was the recipient of two of Paul's epistles that appear in the New Testament." It ranked #203 for boys in the United States in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
According to Behind the Name, english form of the Greek name Τιμόθεος (Timotheos) meaning ‘honouring God’, derived from τιμάω (timao) meaning ‘to honour’ and θεός (theos) meaning ‘god’. Saint Timothy was a companion of Paul on his missionary journeys and was the recipient of two of Paul's epistles that appear in the New Testament. The entry lists its usage as English, Biblical.
Editorial confidence: established
Popularity
Timothy ranked #203 for boys in the United States in 2025. The figure comes from the Social Security Administration's national file for that year.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #203 | ssa-2025 |
If you like this name
Names that Behind the Name files under the same origin (English) and that sit near Timothy in the 2025 American rankings.
Similar by origin
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Timothy mean?
Timothy means "honouring God", according to Behind the Name.
Is Timothy a popular name?
Timothy ranked #203 for boys in the United States in 2025. (Social Security Administration data).
Is Timothy a boy's or a girl's name?
In the 2025 SSA data Timothy appears in the boys' list; Behind the Name labels it masculine.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Timothy — supports meaning, usage, pronunciation, variants.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.