Meaning & History
Timoti is the Māori form of Timothy, derived from the English name which itself comes from the Greek Τιμόθεος (Timotheos), meaning "honouring God" — from τιμάω (timao) "to honour" and θεός (theos) "God".
Etymology and History
The name Timothy has deep biblical roots, most notably being borne by Saint Timothy, a companion of the Apostle Paul who received two epistles in the New Testament. The English name Timothy was not used widely until the Protestant Reformation. In Māori, Timoti serves as a direct transliteration, adapting the name to the phonetic and orthographic conventions of the Māori language, where it has been used as a given name among New Zealand's indigenous population.
Notable Bearers
Notable bearers include Tīmoti Kāretu (born 1937), a distinguished Māori-language scholar and advocate, and Timoti Džon Bajford (1941–2014), the Serbian transliteration of Timothy John Byford, an English-Serbian author and director. The name also appears in various cultural and religious contexts among Māori Christians.
- Meaning: Honouring God (in origin)
- Origin: Greek, via English and Biblical influences
- Type: First name (male)
- Usage Regions: New Zealand (Māori)
- Related Names: Timothy (English), Timoteo (Italian, Spanish), Timotheus (German), Timotei (Romanian), among others.
Related Names
Sources: Wikipedia — Timoti