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National Tim Day

A name day observance on December 28 honoring people named Tim and Timothy, celebrating the name's Greek roots and its bearers across history.

Monday

December 2026

Last updated March 21, 2026 · by the Holiday Calendar Team

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YEARLY DATEDecember 28

OBSERVED INUnited States

CATEGORYNames

ORIGIN

Community Origin

FOUNDING ENTITY

Not documented

FIRST OBSERVED

~2016

HOW THE HOLIDAY CAME TO BE

No documented founder or formal establishment record has been identified. The earliest online listings for a December 28 celebration of the name Tim appeared around 2016.

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INTRO

Introduction

PHOTO

Few names can claim bearers separated by two millennia who each changed the known world: one was stoned to death in Ephesus for confronting pagan worship, and another released the World Wide Web into the public domain from a Swiss physics lab. Tim Day honors every person who carries a name built from the Greek words for "honor" and "God."

The day falls on December 28, part of the informal name-day tradition that spread through social media during the 2010s. Behind its modern simplicity lies a name whose cultural footprint stretches from the Pauline epistles to postwar American nurseries to the architecture of the internet.

ORIGINS

Tim Day history

INTRODUCTION

The name Timothy derives from the Greek Timotheos, a compound of "timé" (honor) and "theos" (God), translating to "honoring God" or "honored by God." Its earliest prominent bearer appears in the New Testament, where Timothy of Lystra became one of the Apostle Paul's closest companions during his missionary journeys through Asia Minor and Greece.

Paul referred to Timothy as "my true son in the faith" and entrusted him with leading the church at Ephesus. Two of Paul's epistles are addressed directly to Timothy, offering guidance on doctrine and church governance.

CHAPTER 01

A Martyr's Legacy

Tradition holds that Paul appointed Timothy as the first bishop of Ephesus around AD 64. According to early church historians, Timothy served in that role for roughly three decades before being killed around AD 97. He was reportedly stoned by a mob after confronting worshipers during a festival for the goddess Diana, making him one of the early church's documented martyrs.

The name remained in use within Christian communities for centuries, though it stayed largely confined to clerical and scholarly circles until the 1500s.

CHAPTER 02

Into the English-Speaking World

The Protestant Reformation changed the name's trajectory. As English-speaking families began drawing heavily from biblical names, Timothy entered mainstream use for the first time. By the mid-twentieth century, it had become one of the most common boys' names in America, peaking at No. 11 on the SSA chart in 1960.

The name held a Top 50 position for more than three decades before beginning a steady decline. By 2021, Timothy had dropped to roughly No. 200, though the shortened form Tim remains widely recognized as an independent name.

CHAPTER 03

The Holiday's Emergence

Tim Day appeared on online holiday calendars around 2016, designating December 28 as a celebration of the name. No formal founder or institutional backer has been documented. The observance follows the broader pattern of informal name-day celebrations that proliferated through social media and holiday listing sites during the 2010s.

TIMELINE

National Tim Day Timeline

Saint Timothy martyred in Ephesus

According to tradition, Timothy, the first bishop of Ephesus and companion of the Apostle Paul, was stoned to death for protesting a pagan festival honoring the goddess Diana.

Reformation spreads the name

The Protestant Reformation drove English-speaking families toward biblical names, bringing Timothy into common use outside ecclesiastical contexts for the first time.

Timothy peaks on SSA chart

The name reached No. 11 on the Social Security Administration's baby name rankings, with more than 30,500 boys named Timothy in that year alone.

Tim Berners-Lee proposes the Web

British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee submitted his proposal for the World Wide Web at CERN, laying the technical foundation for the modern internet.

Tim Duncan wins third NBA title

San Antonio Spurs center Tim Duncan claimed his third NBA championship and second Finals MVP, cementing his reputation as one of the greatest power forwards in basketball history.

Name day observance appears online

Online holiday calendars began listing December 28 as a day to celebrate people named Tim, though no formal founder or establishing organization has been documented.

GET INVOLVED

How to Celebrate National Tim Day

Visit the birthplace of the World Wide Web

CERN maintains a detailed history of the Web's creation, including Tim Berners-Lee's original proposal and the first web server. The page includes photographs of the NeXT computer that hosted the world's first website.

WATCH

Watch a Tim Burton film marathon

Director Tim Burton's filmography spans over four decades, from Beetlejuice (1988) to Wednesday (2022). Pick a film you have not seen and notice the recurring visual motifs, such as spirals, stripes, and German Expressionist angles, that define his style.

READ

Read Paul's letters to Timothy

The two Epistles to Timothy in the New Testament offer a direct window into early church leadership and mentorship. Free digital editions are available through Bible Gateway in multiple translations.

LOOK

Look up the name's SSA ranking history

The Social Security Administration's Baby Names tool lets you chart Timothy's rise and decline year by year. Compare it to the trajectory of other mid-century favorites like Steven, Kevin, and Brian.

SEND

Send a message to a Tim in your life

The name literally means 'honoring God,' which makes it a natural starting point for a note of appreciation. Reach out to a Tim or Timothy you know and let them know what they contribute to your world.

WHY THIS DAY MATTERS

Why We Love National Tim Day

It documents a mid-century naming wave

Timothy held a Top 50 SSA position for more than three decades before dropping to roughly No. 200 by 2021, tracing the full lifecycle of a postwar name trend. That arc, from ecclesiastical rarity to playground staple to gentle decline, offers a case study in how generational taste reshapes the American name pool.

Its most famous bearer reshaped global communication

Tim Berners-Lee's 1989 proposal at CERN led to the World Wide Web, and his decision to release the technology royalty-free in 1993 ensured it became a universal platform rather than proprietary software. That single act by one Tim fundamentally altered commerce, media, and daily life worldwide.

It connects to foundational Christian history

Saint Timothy's role as Paul's delegate and first bishop of Ephesus placed him at the center of early church organization in Asia Minor. The two Pauline epistles addressed to him remain core instructional texts studied in seminaries and theology programs across denominations.

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