Ben vs Timothy
Ben 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, Ben was ranked #40 and Timothy #329 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2005, Ben was ranked #63 and Timothy #100 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2004, Ben was ranked #99 and Timothy #98 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Ben was ranked #121 and Timothy #535 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Ben was ranked #125 and Timothy #339 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2019, Ben was ranked #359 and Timothy #518 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Ben was ranked #509 and Timothy #382 among boys in England and Wales.
Ben and Timothy over time
Ben and Timothy appear together in 6 published lists, across 192 years of shared records. Ben 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, Ben in 2. 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 2000, Ben moved ahead of Timothy in New Zealand · Boys — #53 and #51 the year before became #64 and #69.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Ben and Timothy changed places 8 times in Norway · Boys between 1958 and 2019, ending at #359 and #518.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 26 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Ben and Timothy averaged 40.8 places apart, ending at #99 and #98.
- Longest-running competitions
Ben and Timothy were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 37 years, from 1958 to 2019, ending at #359 and #518.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys47 shared years, 1978–2025
Ben held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Timothy in 17.
Highest recorded here: Ben #14 in 2005, Timothy #55 in 1986.
The order changed in 1996: Ben moved ahead. In 1995 they stood at #100 and #81; by 1996 that had become #74 and #84.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ben #40, Timothy #329.
Norway · Boys37 shared years, 1958–2019
Ben held the stronger position in 33 of those years, Timothy in 4.
Highest recorded here: Ben #233 in 1965, Timothy #413 in 1988.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Ben #359, Timothy #518.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ben held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Timothy in 2.
Highest recorded here: Ben #21 in 2002, Timothy #82 in 1996.
The order changed in 2023: Timothy moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #371 and #407; by 2023 that had become #447 and #396.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ben #509, Timothy #382.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Ben held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Timothy in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ben #6 in 2004, Timothy #75 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ben #125, Timothy #339.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys26 shared years, 1976–2004
Ben held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Timothy in 25.
Highest recorded here: Ben #41 in 1981, Timothy #11 in 1984.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2004: Ben #99, Timothy #98.
New Zealand · Boys25 shared years, 1981–2005
Ben held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Timothy in 19.
Highest recorded here: Ben #38 in 2002, Timothy #10 in 1981.
The order changed in 2000: Ben moved ahead. In 1999 they stood at #53 and #51; by 2000 that had become #64 and #69.
Most recent shared year, 2005: Ben #63, Timothy #100.
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 | Ben | Timothy |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | A short form of Benjamin, Benedict and other names beginning with 'Ben'; in Dutch, can also be short for Bernhard. | From Greek Timotheos, literally 'honouring God', combining 'timao' (to honour) with 'theos' (god). Saint Timothy accompanied the Apostle Paul on missionary journeys. |
| Origin | Hebrew/Germanic, short form | Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈbɛn/ | /ˈtɪm.ə.θi/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 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 #40 (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
- Ben is recorded with a Hebrew/Germanic, short form origin, while Timothy is recorded with a Greek origin.
- Ben has 1 syllable, compared with 3 for Timothy.
- Ben'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
Ben
Popularity journey
First recorded1950
First recorded at #376 among boys in Norway in 1950 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2004 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #40 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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