Timothy

Timothy meaning

Timothy is a Christian and international boy's name of Greek origin.

Dear to God

Also used to mean: honouring God

Timothy comes from Greek Timotheos, made of timē, 'honour, value', and theos, 'God'. Strong's Concordance renders it 'dear to God', and name lists also give 'honouring God'. Timothy was the young disciple from Lystra, son of a Jewish mother and a Greek father, whom Paul took as his companion and called 'my own son in the faith'; the two Letters to Timothy in the New Testament are addressed to him as leader of the church in Ephesus. In India Timothy is used in Christian families, and it can be shortened to Tim.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890), Greek Dictionary of the New Testament, G5095 · entry Timotheos · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026

References: Strong's G5095, Timotheos (Bible Hub)

Famous namesakes

• Timothy, companion of Paul and bishop of Ephesus

Popularity abroad

• #203 United States, boys 2025 (up 4 from 207 in 2024)
  US Social Security Administration
• #418 England and Wales, boys 2025
  Office for National Statistics

Official birth registrations. India publishes no national name statistics.

Spellings

Timothy · Timothi · Timotheus

Related names

Also meaning god

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