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Tim

tim /tɪm/

At a glance

U.S. rank 2025
#3,181 of boy names (outside the top 1,000)
Babies in 2025
37 (<0.01% of boys)
Trend
Steady #3,418 in 2020 #3,181 in 2025
Peak
#60 in 1959–1960
First recorded
1880

Meaning of Tim

Rooted in the ancient Greek timē (“honor”) and theos (“God”), Tim began life as the familiar diminutive of Timothy—an apostle Paul’s companion and patron of hospitality—before stepping into its own light as a name that radiates dependable warmth. In the Anglo-American world, it evokes both the inventive forays of figures like Sir Tim Berners-Lee and the reassuring presence of a steadfast friend, its popularity having mellowed from a mid-20th century peak into a contemporary niche around rank 870 in the United States. As a linguistic bonsai, Tim is succinct yet richly layered, offering a hint of timeless reverence without ceremony, and carrying a quietly dry wit—proof that brevity, like a well-timed punchline, leaves room to breathe.

How to pronounce Tim

English

Popularity of Tim in the U.S.

Tim was the #3,181 boy name in the U.S. in 2025, with 37 babies. It peaked at #60 in 1959–1960.

Bar and line chart: Tim in the U.S., 1880–2025. Bars: boys given the name each year, most 6,931 in 1960 and 37 in 2025. Line: rank among boy names, peak #60 in 1959–1960, #3,181 in 2025.
  • Boys named Tim (left scale)
  • Rank among U.S. boy names (right scale, #1 at the top)
By year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA. Download: PNG · SVG
Year-by-year table, 1880⁠–⁠2025 146 rows
YearBabiesRankvs previous year
2025373,181▼ 679
2024542,502▲ 726
2023373,228▲ 305
2022323,533▼ 615
2021422,918▲ 500
2020323,418▼ 1,054
2019572,364▼ 39
2018572,325▲ 92
2017532,417▼ 351
2016682,066▲ 146
2015612,212▼ 292
2014751,920▲ 504
2013512,424▲ 445
2012412,869▼ 322
2011482,547▼ 478
2010652,069▼ 59
2009692,010▼ 9
2008702,001▼ 140
2007771,861▼ 92
2006781,769▼ 150
2005841,619▲ 370
2004601,989▼ 511
2003881,478▲ 79
2002791,557▼ 55
2001811,502▼ 120
2000911,382▲ 135
1999741,517▲ 163
1998611,680▲ 26
1997571,706▼ 107
1996611,599▲ 137
1995511,736▼ 327
1994691,409▲ 51
1993641,460▼ 179
1992781,281▲ 87
1991681,368▼ 109
1990771,259▼ 195
1989961,064▼ 41
1988921,023▲ 24
1987831,047▲ 28
1986751,075▼ 174
1985101901▼ 117
1984122784▲ 111
198396895▼ 148
1982139747▼ 68
1981162679▼ 4
1980165675▲ 27
1979148702▼ 179
1978246523▼ 3
1977254520▼ 61
1976291459▼ 23
1975327436▼ 54
1974410382▼ 54
1973523328▼ 63
1972733265▼ 39
19711,049226▼ 27
19701,324199▼ 18
19691,544181▼ 42
19682,073139▼ 23
19672,624116▼ 13
19663,141103▼ 6
19653,71897▼ 15
19644,69582▼ 3
19635,01679▼ 7
19625,58572▼ 7
19616,24565▼ 5
19606,93160–
19596,82660▲ 14
19585,54074▲ 45
19573,251119▲ 55
19561,717174▲ 38
19551,144212▲ 32
1954815244▲ 10
1953744254▲ 6
1952696260▼ 10
1951715250▼ 9
1950754241▼ 40
19491,007201▼ 30
19481,296171▼ 1
19471,330170▲ 1
19461,134171▲ 21
1945779192▲ 36
1944605228▲ 4
1943618232▲ 31
1942512263▲ 33
1941388296▲ 11
1940333307▲ 51
1939245358▼ 21
1938270337▲ 104
1937162441▲ 47
1936134488▲ 10
1935131498▲ 54
1934114552▲ 20
1933101572▲ 79
193287651▲ 66
193172717▲ 115
193061832▼ 103
192974729▲ 234
192850963▼ 123
192764840▼ 19
192665821▲ 37
192560858▲ 14
192462872▼ 31
192365841▲ 169
1922491,010▼ 57
192154953▼ 107
192064846▲ 31
191957877▼ 81
191867796▲ 123
191748919▼ 85
191656834▲ 162
191540996▼ 309
191455687▲ 90
191337777▼ 64
191236713▼ 69
191123644▼ 170
191034474▼ 12
190930462▲ 91
190821553▲ 6
190719559▲ 54
190615613▼ 88
190519525▲ 87
190414612▼ 219
190325393▲ 114
190218507▲ 272
19018779▼ 289
190022490▲ 58
189913548▲ 87
189812635▲ 217
18977852▼ 301
189614551▼ 22
189515529▲ 258
18948787▼ 368
189319419▲ 178
189212597▼ 141
189115456▼ 22
189017434▲ 64
188914498▲ 150
188810648▼ 256
188718392▲ 99
188614491▼ 29
188516462▲ 6
188416468▼ 20
188316448▲ 128
188211576▼ 73
188112503▲ 23
188012526–

Tim by state

Tim ranks #1,831 in Florida (2025).

Map: Tim's 2025 rank among boy names in each U.S. state
Rank among boy names by state, 2025. Source: SSA. Download: PNG · SVG
Rank by state 2 states
StateRankBabies
Florida1,8315
California2,4715

Notable people named Tim

  • Tim Kaine — Timothy Michael Kaine is an American senator from Virginia, former governor, and Hillary Clinton's 2016 vice presidential running mate.
  • Tim Duncan — Timothy Duncan is a Hall of Fame basketball player who spent his entire 19-year NBA career with the San Antonio Spurs.
  • Tim McGraw — Samuel Timothy McGraw is an American country singer and actor known for his chart topping albums and hit songs.
  • Tim Burton is an American filmmaker known for his distinctive blend of gothic fantasy, dark humor, and whimsical storytelling.
  • Tim Minchin — Timothy David Minchin is a British-Australian musical comedian and actor.
More people named Tim 7 more
  • Tim Russert — Timothy John Russert was an American television journalist best known as the longest-serving moderator of NBC's Meet the Press.
  • Tim Berners-Lee is an English computer scientist best known for inventing the World Wide Web.
  • Tim Curry — Timothy James Curry is an English actor and singer best known for playing Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
  • Tim Allen is an American actor and comedian best known for Home Improvement, Last Man Standing, and voicing Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story.
  • Tim Brooke-Taylor — Timothy Julian Brooke-Taylor was an English actor and comedian best known as a member of The Goodies.
  • Tim Robbins — Timothy Francis Robbins is an American actor, director, producer, and writer who has won an Academy Award and three Golden Globes.
  • Tim Birkin was a British racing driver and one of the famous Bentley Boys of the 1920s.