Timothy vs Vilhelm
Timothy and Vilhelmcompared 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.
Norway · Boys
In 2019, Timothy was ranked #518 and Vilhelm #417 among boys in Norway.
Timothy and Vilhelm over time
Timothy and Vilhelm appear together in 1 published list, across 12 years of shared records. Vilhelm held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Timothy in 0.
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 1 of those lists, and Vilhelm in none. 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.
List by list
Norway · Boys12 shared years, 1969–2019
Timothy held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Vilhelm in 7.
Highest recorded here: Timothy #429 in 2004, Vilhelm #374 in 2015.
The order changed in 2015: Vilhelm moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #540 and #542; by 2015 that had become #542 and #374.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Timothy #518, Vilhelm #417.
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 | Timothy | Vilhelm |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | From Greek Timotheos, literally 'honouring God', combining 'timao' (to honour) with 'theos' (god). Saint Timothy accompanied the Apostle Paul on missionary journeys. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Greek | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈtɪm.ə.θi/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #329 (2025) | Norway · Boys #390 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Timothy has a recorded origin (Greek); Vilhelm does not have one recorded yet.
- Timothy has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Vilhelm.
- A meaning is recorded for Timothy; Vilhelm doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in NO.
How each name got here
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
Vilhelm
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #339 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #283 among boys in Norway, in 2023 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #390 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys