James vs Timothy
James 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, James was ranked #1 and Timothy #339 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, James was ranked #4 and Timothy #329 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2005, James was ranked #5 and Timothy #100 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2005, James was ranked #6 and Timothy #78 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, James was ranked #14 and Timothy #535 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, James was ranked #40 and Timothy #382 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2019, James was ranked #273 and Timothy #518 among boys in Norway.
James and Timothy over time
James and Timothy appear together in 6 published lists, across 266 years of shared records. James held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Timothy in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Timothy reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, James 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.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 54 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, James and Timothy averaged 20.6 places apart, ending at #6 and #78.
- Mirrored each other
Over 52 shared years in New Zealand · Boys, James rose about as far as Timothy fell — from #20 and #61 in 1954 to #5 and #100 in 2005.
- Longest-running competitions
James and Timothy were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 54 years, from 1952 to 2005, ending at #6 and #78.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — James #2 in 1997, Timothy #82 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
James held the stronger position in 62 of those years, Timothy in 0.
Highest recorded here: James #1 in 1994, Timothy #26 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: James #4, Timothy #329.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys54 shared years, 1952–2005
James held the stronger position in 54 of those years, Timothy in 0.
Highest recorded here: James #3 in 1996, Timothy #11 in 1984.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2005: James #6, Timothy #78.
New Zealand · Boys52 shared years, 1954–2005
James held the stronger position in 52 of those years, Timothy in 0.
Highest recorded here: James #2 in 1993, Timothy #10 in 1981.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2005: James #5, Timothy #100.
Norway · Boys41 shared years, 1957–2019
James held the stronger position in 40 of those years, Timothy in 1.
Highest recorded here: James #218 in 1978, Timothy #413 in 1988.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2019: James #273, Timothy #518.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
James held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Timothy in 0.
Highest recorded here: James #2 in 1997, Timothy #82 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: James #40, Timothy #382.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
James held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Timothy in 0.
Highest recorded here: James #1 in 2015, Timothy #75 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: James #1, 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 | James | Timothy |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Supplanter, held by the heel (traditional interpretation via Jacob). | From Greek Timotheos, literally 'honouring God', combining 'timao' (to honour) with 'theos' (god). Saint Timothy accompanied the Apostle Paul on missionary journeys. |
| Origin | Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus | Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdʒeɪmz/ | /ˈtɪm.ə.θi/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Jim, Jamie, Iacomus | 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 #4 (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 | high | medium |
What the data shows
- James is recorded with a Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus origin, while Timothy is recorded with a Greek origin.
- James has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Timothy.
- James'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.
- The available evidence gives James a "high" Data Confidence level and Timothy a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
James
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #344 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2015 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #15 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