Adam vs Timothy
Adam 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Adam was ranked #20 and Timothy #329 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2019, Adam was ranked #25 and Timothy #518 among boys in Norway.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2005, Adam was ranked #33 and Timothy #78 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #35 and Timothy #382 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #38 and Timothy #339 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #42 and Timothy #535 among boys in Scotland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2005, Adam was ranked #80 and Timothy #100 among boys in New Zealand.
Adam and Timothy over time
Adam and Timothy appear together in 6 published lists, across 245 years of shared records. Adam held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Timothy in 1.
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, Adam 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 took the other's place near the top
In New Zealand · Boys, Adam moved into the top 50 at #47 in 1999 as Timothy fell out of it to #51, having been #42 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1994, Adam moved ahead of Timothy in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #27 and #25 the year before became #24 and #26.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Adam and Timothy changed places 5 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1961 and 2005, ending at #33 and #78.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 45 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Adam and Timothy averaged 15.2 places apart, ending at #33 and #78.
- Longest-running competitions
Adam and Timothy were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 45 years, from 1961 to 2005, ending at #33 and #78.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Adam #16 in 1996, Timothy #82 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys61 shared years, 1965–2025
Adam held the stronger position in 38 of those years, Timothy in 23.
Highest recorded here: Adam #3 in 2001, Timothy #29 in 1965.
The order changed in 1988: Adam moved ahead. In 1987 they stood at #68 and #58; by 1988 that had become #55 and #65.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Adam #20, Timothy #329.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys45 shared years, 1961–2005
Adam held the stronger position in 33 of those years, Timothy in 12.
Highest recorded here: Adam #7 in 1979, Timothy #11 in 1984.
The order changed in 1994: Adam moved ahead. In 1993 they stood at #27 and #25; by 1994 that had become #24 and #26.
Most recent shared year, 2005: Adam #33, Timothy #78.
New Zealand · Boys41 shared years, 1965–2005
Adam held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Timothy in 29.
Highest recorded here: Adam #13 in 1986, Timothy #10 in 1981.
The order changed in 1999: Adam moved ahead. In 1998 they stood at #44 and #42; by 1999 that had become #47 and #51.
Most recent shared year, 2005: Adam #80, Timothy #100.
Norway · Boys41 shared years, 1957–2019
Adam held the stronger position in 41 of those years, Timothy in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adam #25 in 2019, Timothy #413 in 1988.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Adam #25, Timothy #518.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Adam held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Timothy in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adam #16 in 1996, Timothy #82 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Adam #35, Timothy #382.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Adam held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Timothy in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adam #3 in 2001, Timothy #75 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Adam #38, Timothy #339.
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 | Adam | Timothy |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Traditionally understood as the Hebrew word for 'man', with a wordplay connection in Genesis to 'ground/earth', since Adam is described as formed from earth. | 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 | Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈædəm/ | /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 #20 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #329 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Adam is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Timothy is recorded with a Greek origin.
- Adam has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Timothy.
- Adam'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
Adam
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #380 among boys in Norway in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2001 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #72 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · 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