Tim
Tim is a masculine given name. It is often short for Timothy. Tim is a common name in several countries.
- English
- German
- Dutch
- Slovene
Meaning & Origin of Tim
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Tim is a masculine given name. It is often short for Timothy. Tim is a common name in several countries.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- German
- Dutch
- Slovene
- Swedish
- Norwegian
- Danish
The Story of Tim
Tim first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 12 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1960: 6,931 births, good for #60 nationwide. The 1960s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 50% of all recorded Tims. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #2,592 among baby boy names with 52 births, gradually falling (-7%). In total, more than 83K Tims have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Tim
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Tim. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Tim
Phonetically similar names — useful when Tim is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Tim
What does the name Tim mean?
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How popular is Tim in 2026?
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In which U.S. states is Tim most popular?
Is Tim a unisex name?
What names go well with Tim?
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About the name Tim
Tim is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 83K births in the dataset. Tim's peak popularity came in 1960 when it ranked #60. Use the chart and map above to compare Tim's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1960 →
- Names of the 1960s →
- Names starting with "T" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.