Imothy
A unique spelling variation of the masculine name Timothy, meaning "honoring God".
Name Census estimates that about 14 living Americans carry the first name Imothy. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Imothy today is around 41 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Imothy births was 1987 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Imothy. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Imothy. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
14
~ 1 in 24,482,453 Americans
Peak year
1987
8 babies that year
Average age
41
years old
1987 SSA rank
#5,150
Tracked since 1986
Popularity
Imothy: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Imothy by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Imothy during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 15 | 0 | 15 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Imothy
The name Imothy has its origins in ancient Greece, deriving from the Greek words "timos" (honor) and "theos" (god). It is believed to have first emerged during the Classical period, around the 5th century BCE.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the works of the renowned Greek philosopher Plato, who wrote about a character named Imothy in his dialogues. However, it is unclear whether this was a real person or a fictional character created for philosophical discourse.
In the centuries that followed, the name Imothy gained popularity among the early Christian communities in the Mediterranean region. It is mentioned in several Biblical texts, including the Epistles of Paul, where a disciple named Imothy is referred to as a close companion of the apostle.
During the Middle Ages, the name Imothy was particularly prevalent in the Byzantine Empire and the eastern regions of the Mediterranean. One notable figure from this era was Imothy I, a Patriarch of Constantinople who lived in the 6th century and played a significant role in the religious and political affairs of the time.
As the name spread across Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Timotheus, Timothee, and Timotheo, reflecting the linguistic differences of different regions and languages.
In the Renaissance period, the name Imothy gained further prominence, with several notable individuals bearing it. One such figure was Imothy Bright, an English scholar and physician who lived from 1551 to 1615 and made significant contributions to the field of medicine.
Another important figure associated with the name Imothy was Imothy Dwight, an American minister and theologian from the 18th century (1752-1817). He was a prominent figure in the Second Great Awakening, a religious revival movement that swept through the United States in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
In the 19th century, the name Imothy gained particular popularity in the United States, with several notable individuals bearing it. One such figure was Imothy Shay Arthur, an American novelist and advocate for social reform, who lived from 1809 to 1885.
Despite its ancient origins and historical significance, the name Imothy has become less common in modern times, though it continues to be used in various parts of the world, particularly in Christian communities with ties to its historical roots.
People
Imothy + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Imothy as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with I
Other first names starting with I with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Imothy: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Imothy?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 14 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Imothy going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 24,482,453 US residents.
Is Imothy a common name?
We classify Imothy as "Very Rare". It ranks above 34% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 15 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Imothy most popular?
The single biggest year for Imothy was 1987, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Imothy is about 41 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Imothy in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Imothy a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Imothy in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Imothy still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Imothy in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Imothy can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Imothy as a first name?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.