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Meaning & History
Timotej is a masculine given name used primarily in Macedonian, Slovak, and Slovene. It is the local form of Timothy, which derives from the Greek name Τιμόθεος (Timotheos), meaning "honouring God" — from τιμάω (timao, "to honour") and θεός (theos, "god").
Etymology and Historical Background
The original Greek name Timotheos was borne by a companion of the Apostle Paul, mentioned in the New Testament. According to tradition, Saint Timothy was of mixed Jewish and Greek heritage and became the first bishop of Ephesus, where he was martyred for protesting the worship of Artemis. The name was not used in English until after the Protestant Reformation, but its Slavic forms like Timotej have been established for centuries due to early Christianization of the Slavs.Usage and Variants
In Slovak, Timotej is both a given name and the Slovak rendering of the biblical Timothy. The feminine equivalent is Timotea, though rare. In Slovene and Macedonian, the name is also common, often shortened to the diminutive Tim, which is used among Slovene speakers. Other related forms include Timoteus (Ancient Greek), Timotheos (Biblical Greek), Tsimafei (Belarusian), Timothy (English), Timotheus (German), and Timotei (Romanian).- Meaning: "Honouring God"
- Origin: Greek (via Christian tradition)
- Type: Given name
- Usage Regions: Macedonia, Slovakia, Slovenia
- Related Names: Timothy (English), Timotheos (Greek), Tim (diminutive)
Related Names
Diminutives
(Slovene)
Tim
Other Languages & Cultures
(Ancient Greek)
Timoteus (Biblical Greek)
Timotheos (Belarusian)
Tsimafei (English)
Timothy (German)
Timotheus (Romanian)
Timotei (Swedish)
Tim (German)
Timo 1 (English)
Timmy (French)
Timothée, Timothé (Spanish)
Timoteo (Latvian)
Timofejs (Maori)
Timoti (Polish)
Tymoteusz, Tymek (Russian)
Timofei, Timofey (Ukrainian)
Tymofii, Tymofiy
Sources: Wiktionary — Timotej