Denis vs Timothy
Denis 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 1955, Denis was ranked #97 and Timothy #46 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1954, Denis was ranked #82 and Timothy #61 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Denis was ranked #232 and Timothy #329 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Denis was ranked #305 and Timothy #339 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2019, Denis was ranked #351 and Timothy #518 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Denis was ranked #434 and Timothy #382 among boys in England and Wales.
Denis and Timothy over time
Denis and Timothy appear together in 4 published lists, across 139 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in one 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 2 of those lists, Denis 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Denis and Timothy changed places 6 times in Norway · Boys between 1973 and 2019, ending at #351 and #518.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 62 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Denis and Timothy averaged 20.4 places apart, ending at #232 and #329.
- Longest-running competitions
Denis and Timothy were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 31 years, from 1973 to 2019, ending at #351 and #518.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Denis #21 in 1964, Timothy #26 in 1964.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Denis held the stronger position in 42 of those years, Timothy in 19.
Highest recorded here: Denis #21 in 1964, Timothy #26 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Denis #232, Timothy #329.
Norway · Boys31 shared years, 1973–2019
Denis held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Timothy in 3.
Highest recorded here: Denis #249 in 1984, Timothy #413 in 1988.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Denis #351, Timothy #518.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Denis held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Timothy in 22.
Highest recorded here: Denis #262 in 2020, Timothy #82 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Denis #434, Timothy #382.
Northern Ireland · Boys17 shared years, 1998–2024
Denis held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Timothy in 15.
Highest recorded here: Denis #231 in 2011, Timothy #75 in 2000.
The order changed in 2024: Denis moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #395 and #249; by 2024 that had become #305 and #339.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Denis #305, 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 | Denis | Timothy |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | From Greek Timotheos, literally 'honouring God', combining 'timao' (to honour) with 'theos' (god). Saint Timothy accompanied the Apostle Paul on missionary journeys. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Greek |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈtɪm.ə.θi/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #329 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 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
- Timothy has a recorded origin (Greek); Denis does not have one recorded yet.
- Denis has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Timothy.
- A meaning is recorded for Timothy; Denis doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Denis
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #65 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 recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #21 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #232 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