Timothy
Boy name · #203 in 2025 · Distinctive
Timothy ranks #203 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 1,734 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #147, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 1,038 boys born in 2025 was named Timothy.
Babies named Timothy per year. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Timothy first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 70 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1959, when 30,783 boys were named Timothy — good for #12 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Timothy against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Timothy in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Timothy is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Timothy is most common
Geography matters for names, and Timothy is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Timothy is most common in MS (3 per 1,000), NH (2.2 per 1,000), SC (2.1 per 1,000), KY (2 per 1,000), AL (2 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 1.2 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Timothy is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Timothy
Timothy carries a whole family of nicknames and spellings — names that will feel like the same name in a classroom.
Counted as one name, the Timothy family went to about 1,771 boys in 2025 — together they'd rank around #199, versus #203 for Timothy alone.
Names like Timothy
Statistically, parents drawn to Timothy tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Patrick, Kenneth, Peter, Steven, and Russell.
PatrickKennethPeterStevenRussellGregoryJeffreyKevin
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Timothy | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,734 | #203 |
| 2024 | 1,721 | #206 |
| 2023 | 1,747 | #211 |
| 2022 | 1,848 | #202 |
| 2021 | 1,923 | #198 |
| 2020 | 2,011 | #192 |
| 2019 | 2,092 | #188 |
| 2018 | 2,356 | #165 |
| 2017 | 2,420 | #163 |
| 2016 | 2,674 | #152 |
| 2015 | 2,802 | #147 |
| 2014 | 3,012 | #134 |
| 2013 | 3,068 | #124 |
| 2012 | 3,123 | #118 |
| 2011 | 3,233 | #123 |
| 2010 | 3,454 | #114 |
| 2009 | 3,773 | #109 |
| 2008 | 4,095 | #107 |
| 2007 | 4,437 | #99 |
| 2006 | 4,706 | #93 |
| 2005 | 5,034 | #84 |
| 2004 | 5,234 | #79 |
| 2003 | 5,487 | #76 |
| 2002 | 6,020 | #70 |
| 2001 | 6,423 | #67 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Timothy a popular boy name?
Timothy ranked #203 among boys in 2025 with 1,734 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #147.
When was the name Timothy most popular?
Timothy peaked in 1959, when 30,783 American boys received the name (ranked #12 that year). Since 1959 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Timothy?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 1,038 newborn American boys was named Timothy. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.