Aaron vs Timothy
Aaron and Timothycompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2005, Aaron was ranked #60 and Timothy #78 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Aaron was ranked #71 and Timothy #329 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2005, Aaron was ranked #72 and Timothy #100 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #114 and Timothy #535 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #154 and Timothy #382 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2019, Aaron was ranked #172 and Timothy #518 among boys in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #187 and Timothy #339 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Aaron and Timothy over time
Aaron and Timothy appear together in 6 published lists, across 216 years of shared records. Aaron held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Timothy in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Timothy reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Aaron in 1. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1994, Aaron moved ahead of Timothy in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #26 and #25 the year before became #25 and #26.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Aaron and Timothy changed places 7 times in New Zealand · Boys between 1966 and 2005, ending at #72 and #100.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 37 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Aaron and Timothy averaged 13.7 places apart, ending at #60 and #78.
- Longest-running competitions
Aaron and Timothy were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 37 years, from 1969 to 2005, ending at #60 and #78.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Aaron #31 in 1998, Timothy #82 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys60 shared years, 1965–2025
Aaron held the stronger position in 39 of those years, Timothy in 21.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #6 in 1998, Timothy #29 in 1965.
The order changed in 1987: Aaron moved ahead. In 1986 they stood at #68 and #55; by 1987 that had become #57 and #58.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Aaron #71, Timothy #329.
New Zealand · Boys40 shared years, 1966–2005
Aaron held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Timothy in 24.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #8 in 1972, Timothy #10 in 1981.
The order changed in 2003: Aaron moved ahead. In 2002 they stood at #93 and #82; by 2003 that had become #72 and #83.
Most recent shared year, 2005: Aaron #72, Timothy #100.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys37 shared years, 1969–2005
Aaron held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Timothy in 25.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #18 in 1986, Timothy #11 in 1984.
The order changed in 1994: Aaron moved ahead. In 1993 they stood at #26 and #25; by 1994 that had become #25 and #26.
Most recent shared year, 2005: Aaron #60, Timothy #78.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Aaron held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Timothy in 0.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #31 in 1998, Timothy #82 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aaron #154, Timothy #382.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Aaron held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Timothy in 0.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #8 in 2000, Timothy #75 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aaron #187, Timothy #339.
Norway · Boys22 shared years, 1978–2019
Aaron held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Timothy in 5.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #162 in 2015, Timothy #413 in 1988.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Aaron #172, Timothy #518.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Aaron | Timothy |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Best known as the name of Moses's elder brother and the first high priest of Israel in the Old Testament; the literal meaning of the name itself is not reliably established. | From Greek Timotheos, literally 'honouring God', combining 'timao' (to honour) with 'theos' (god). Saint Timothy accompanied the Apostle Paul on missionary journeys. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew (likely of Egyptian origin) | Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛrən/ | /ˈtɪm.ə.θi/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #71 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #329 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Aaron is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew (likely of Egyptian origin) origin, while Timothy is recorded with a Greek origin.
- Aaron has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Timothy.
- Aaron's recorded meaning differs from Timothy's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Aaron
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #222 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1965–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1998 (recorded 1965–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #334 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Timothy
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #61 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1954–2005
Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in New Zealand, in 1981 (recorded 1954–2005).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #329 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys