Timothy

TIM·ə·thee · 3 syllables

Timothy is easy for English speakers to say and spell correctly on first read.

89/100

Strong Practical Fit

Balanced across pronunciation, everyday use, lifetime fit and international use.

Name Profile

Pronunciation & Spelling
Effortless
91/100
Everyday Use
Low risk
Shortens naturally in everyday use, with two established short forms.
95/100
Growing Up
Strong lifetime fit
Flexes across contexts — Timothy on the resume, Tim at the dinner table.
92/100
International Use
Broad international fit
Works cleanly across the assessed languages and writing systems.
85/100

NAME DETAILS

DOCUMENTED USE: Masculine
COMMON FORMS: tim; timmy
OTHER-LANGUAGE FORMS: Timo; Timothée; Timofei; Timoteo

ORIGIN & HISTORY

About the name

honouring God (also rendered 'honoured by God').

Τιμόθεος (Timótheos, Ancient Greek); Timotheus (Latin form).

POPULARITY

Timothy over time

United States

#203RANK

Rank #203 gives national context, not a classroom forecast.

Recognizable without feeling automatic. Ranked #203 in the U.S., 2025.

SourceU.S. Social Security Administration · 2025 release

Pronunciation & Forms

SAY IT

TIM·ə·thee

STRESS ON THE FIRST SYLLABLE

COMMON FORMS

tim
timmy

OTHER-LANGUAGE FORMS

Timoteus / TimotheosAncient Greek
TimoFI/ET
TimothéeFR
TimofeiRU
TimoteoIT/ES/PT

PRACTICAL LIFE

How This Name Lives

AT SCHOOL & DAY TO DAY

The common diminutives Tim and Timmy give the name an easy, friendly childhood register alongside its more formal full form.

Cultural Footprint

TRACEABLE ORIGIN

Saint Timothycompanion of the Apostle Paul, addressee of two New Testament epistles
Timothy Daltonactor known for playing James Bond
Timothy Weahprofessional footballer
Timothy DolanCardinal Archbishop of New York

More about Timothy

FORMALITY

A traditionally formal biblical name with well-established casual diminutives (Tim, Timmy), giving it flexibility across formal and everyday contexts.

EDITORIAL SYNTHESIS

The Decision

Timothy is spelled without unusual letter patterns, and it holds up in everyday use. Surname-dependent compatibility remains unassessed until a surname is added.

STRENGTH

Flexes across contexts — Timothy on the resume, Tim at the dinner table. English speakers will most likely pronounce it correctly on the first try.

BEST FIT

Everyday Use is the strongest-scoring part of this name — no obvious nickname traps, rhymes, or initial issues detected.

FULL-NAME CHECK