The name Timothy has a very special and personal meaning for me, and I think it fits our “vibe.” I like the sound and the look of it. It goes fine with the surname. There’s just one problem… I don’t like Tim or Timmy. At all.
Is Tim/Timmy inevitable with Timothy? Could he go by Timothy? Are there any other potential nicknames from it that we could use instead? Or is it doomed to the middle-only spot on our list?
I think he would get called Timmy/Tim for sure. 
I absolutely love [name_u]Timothy[/name_u] . I think if you love the name you should use it , but there is always the chance he may want to be called [name_m]Tim[/name_m] or [name_m]Timmy[/name_m] .
I think [name_m]Tom[/name_m] could be a viable nickname
I think [name_m]Tim[/name_m] and [name_m]Timmy[/name_m] would be very hard to avoid, unless you called him TJ or [name_u]Theo[/name_u] or something.
i know a couple little timothy’s, and no one ever calls either of them ‘tim’ or ‘timmy’!
I do think it’s inevitable that he’d get called [name_m]Tim[/name_m] or [name_m]Timmy[/name_m]. When he’s a baby you could ask people not to call him that, but at some point you’d have to leave the choice up to him. If you really just can’t bear the thought of him possibly saying he wants to go by [name_m]Timmy[/name_m] then I think you should probably avoid [name_u]Timothy[/name_u]. But that being said, I think that once a name is associated with your child you often don’t care as much as you thought you would. Before my son [name_m]Gideon[/name_m] was born we said that we absolutely would never let anyone call him Giddy. Well flash forward and basically as soon as he was born his aunt started calling him Giddy, and shockingly, it actually didn’t bug me. At all, really. I spent so much time before he was born being worried about something and as soon as he was born I had an immediate change of heart about it because it just felt different when it was an actual child with that name. But I obviously can’t speak for every person and every name. If you really strongly feel you absolutely hate [name_m]Timmy[/name_m] then maybe don’t try to bank on the possibility of changing your mind once your baby is born because it could just cause a ton of unnecessary frustration if you do still hate it and it’s a constant struggle to avoid the nickname.
I think Tim/Timmy avoid be hard to avoid with [name_u]Timothy[/name_u]. It’s one of those names that often gets shortened. I have a similar conundrum with my favourite girl’s name V@lentina being shortened to [name_u]Val[/name_u], which I don’t love. But at the same time, I don’t dislike it enough for it to put me off using the name. So I’d say it really depends on how much you dislike Tim/Timmy. If you really can’t stand the thought of your son being called [name_m]Timmy[/name_m] by his friends, then I would suggest looking for other names.
Completely agree with this. I think Tim/Timmy is easier to avoid as a baby or toddler. School age makes that hard. I think nicknames naturally happen at school and its harder to avoid when you’re not there with them.
I will point out too that I think kids nowadays have an easier time avoiding nicknames, for whatever reason. When working with kids, I’ve met lots of them who go by full names I almost never heard non-nicknamed growing up – way more [name_m]Matthews[/name_m] and Alexanders as opposed to Matts & [name_u]Alexes[/name_u]. [name_f]Do[/name_f] you think that’s likely to apply to [name_u]Timothy[/name_u] as well, or is it somehow more awkward to say than [name_m]Alexander[/name_m] and the like?
[name_f]My[/name_f] husband is called [name_m]Tim[/name_m] (32), and il fully admit that when i met him at 16 i laughed when he told me his name (mainly because our neighbour was called [name_m]Tim[/name_m], a middle aged man who was a huge prankster)
The novelty soon wore off because i love him and have always called him [name_m]Tim[/name_m] and its second nature.
I find with names that once we know someone with a “regular” name or “unusual” name it just becomes “normal”.
I honestly …because im a bit of a hippy, wish id started calling him Moth 
I think if you choose [name_u]Timothy[/name_u] a nickname will come naturally to you , maybe a playful [name_m]Timmo[/name_m] or you will find that he suits being called [name_m]Timmy[/name_m] or [name_m]Tim[/name_m] or just [name_u]Timothy[/name_u]. I say if you love the name use it. When you first meet that little boy it will just be him 
Honestly go with [name_u]Timothy[/name_u]!
I think [name_u]Timothy[/name_u] is lovely really handsome with that soft boys name vibe that’s just so appealing. He’s a classic and I think he could become the next [name_m]Theodore[/name_m]. With nicknames you cannot really control them when your boy grows up he may want to be called something completely unpredictable that you do not like. You just can’t control it. [name_f]My[/name_f] dad gets called [name_m]Rambo[/name_m] I’m sure my grandparents didn’t expect/want that moniker bestowed onto their son. You can insist that he’s called just [name_u]Timothy[/name_u] though like my parents tried to insist that I was just [name_f]Victoria[/name_f]. I wouldn’t let a nickname stop you from using a name you love. Also if it’s middle name is a J name like [name_u]Timothy[/name_u] [name_u]James[/name_u] or [name_u]Timothy[/name_u] [name_m]Jacob[/name_m] he could go by TJ which is so sweet.
[name_u]Timothy[/name_u] is my number one choice for a boy. [name_f]Lovely[/name_f]!
[name_m]Tim[/name_m] is inevitable from at least some people. It’s that shortening that friends and lovers and colleagues and neighbors do with a name when they are in a hurry or want to show affection. I think of it as shortening more than a nn. [name_f]My[/name_f] friend [name_f]Mary[/name_f] I call [name_f]Mare[/name_f] at times or Soozi I call Sooz.
I don’t think [name_m]Timmy[/name_m] is inevitable at all. Most [name_u]James[/name_u] I know (teach) stay [name_u]James[/name_u] and are never called [name_m]Jimmy[/name_m]. Depends where you live maybe. And it depends on what he likes and prefers. That isn’t controllable.
But I would go with [name_u]Timothy[/name_u]. And my guess is even if [name_u]Timothy[/name_u] ends up liking [name_m]Tim[/name_m] or [name_m]Timmy[/name_m], you’d love him so much you’d be OK with it too.
timothy is a wondrous name, and he could absolutely just be timothy with no nickname!
He could totally be just [name_u]Timothy[/name_u]! I mean, his friends and even he himself may end up liking [name_m]Tim[/name_m] or [name_m]Timmy[/name_m] and thus using that name if you do choose [name_u]Timothy[/name_u] …but I don’t think it’s absolutely inevitable. [name_u]Timothy[/name_u] is such a lovely name.
I do think others might shorten it to Tim/Timmy and as is the case in these situations, he might decide he doesn’t mind that.
Still, if you used [name_u]Timothy[/name_u], Tim/Timmy might grow on you - sounds odd but my aunt now calls my cousin the nickname she swore she hated and would never use and seems okay with it now. On the other hand, if you are pretty expressive about your dislike of it, that may well catch on with those around you and with him himself -my mum disliked [name_f]Gracie[/name_f], i dont like it for myself either.
I guess it could go either way and for that reason, I wouldn’t strike it off your list.
Some alternative nicknames could be
[name_u]Tommy[/name_u]
[name_u]Mo[/name_u]
Tee
YES, please consider [name_u]Timothy[/name_u]! I think this is such a lovely name and it doesn’t get enough love.
I think these days you are much more likely to get people on board with no nicknames. I know a lot more just-Jameses and just-Williams than ever before.
However, you could probably get away with any of these nicknames if you were so inclined:
[name_m]Tom[/name_m]
Thio
Tio
[name_m]Timo[/name_m]
[name_m]Ty[/name_m]
[name_u]Mo[/name_u]
Mit
That has also been my experience working with children. I think part of that is a shift in naming. I imagine many parents themselves prefer their child to be known by their full name because the shortened forms of those traditional names were common amongst their peers or earlier generations and now feel dated or have lost their appeal.
There’s also the growing group of namers who bypass the longer form and go straight to the nickname that’s currently in style. Plus, as traditional names over time give way to modern names in the ever expanding name pool, proportionately fewer names will have built-in nicknames.
I also think part of that is a wider cultural shift in social norms and social etiquette. Most traditional names have a formal and familiar form and many also have a diminutive. Timothy is formal. Tim is familiar. Timmy is diminutive. It was a lot more common in the past when social classes were more defined for the social situation to determine how to address a person and which form of name to use. Now it’s more common for the owner of the name to determine how they should be addressed and what name they are called. This shift might also coincide with urbanisation and greater social distances between people.
I believe more and more people are sensitive to using the name the person uses themselves. However, it does seem that for some names the familiar form is still acceptable or interchangeable with the formal name. I find many teachers will use the shortened form in a familiar sense or because it’s easier or quicker to use. But plenty of children are happy to correct them.
I think a young Timothy today could go by their full name with only the occasional ‘Tim’. Timmy, however, I think is very unlikely unless he chooses it for himself. I only know adult Timothy’s myself; one goes by Timmy and the other goes by Tim. Both in their thirties. As for alternative nicknames, I think Monty is marvellous and haven’t seen it mentioned.
There’s a [name_u]Timothy[/name_u] at my work this year and I was honestly kind of surprised that he went by [name_m]Timmy[/name_m]. 
I know that’s where [name_m]Tim[/name_m] comes from but I honestly wouldn’t have jumped to it lol.
I have a relative named [name_u]Timothy[/name_u], and no one ever called him [name_m]Tim[/name_m] or [name_m]Timmy[/name_m]. I think [name_u]Timothy[/name_u] is an absolutely gorgeous name!