Surname Timofeew - Meaning and Origin

Timofeew: What does the surname Timofeew mean?

The last name Timofeew is a patronymic surname, meaning ‘son of Timofee’. It is derived from the first name Timofee, a Russian name deriving from the Greek name Timotheos, meaning ‘honoring God’.

The first known user of the surname in Russia was the elder Timofee in the Ibchansk clan, recorded in 1201AD. It is likely the surname was in use before then, but the first recorded example of its usage dates back to this time.

The Timofeew surname has since spread around the world, with Timofeews living in Russia, the Ukraine, Latvia, Poland, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Serbia, Bulgaria and the United States. It is a common surname, and is recorded as being used by 1 in 10,000 people in Eastern Europe.

The literal meaning of the surname is the son of Timofee, but can also mean ‘honor of God’, which reflects the strong religious background of the Timofeew family. The surname suggests a legacy of honor, faith and devotion – something that still endures to this day for every person with the Timofeew surname.

Timofeew: Where does the name Timofeew come from?

The last name Timofeew is most commonly associated with the countries of Ukraine and Russia. Historically, the name likely originated in Russia, as the name is a phonetic spelling of the Russian surname Timofeev. This surname is derived from the given name ‘Timofey’ or ‘Timofei’ which is a variation of the Greek given name Timothy.

Today, the Timofeev surname is found primarily in Russia and other former Soviet countries. It is estimated that there are currently around 8,300 individuals with this surname living in Russia, and a further 5,000 in the Ukraine and other former Soviet countries. The name is found in very small numbers in other countries such as the United States, Belarus and Latvia.

The popularity of the name Timofeew has declined in recent years. A survey conducted in Russia in 2004 found that the Timofeew surname was in the top 30 most popular surnames in the country, however this ranking has since dropped significantly. It now ranks at around 120th in terms of popularity.

Although the Timofeew name is not as common today as it once was, it still continues to be used by thousands of people worldwide.

Variations of the surname Timofeew

The surname Timofeew is derived from the name Timothy, an English name of Greek and Hebrew origin which means "honoring God". The variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin for Timofeew are listed below.

Variants:

Timofeev, Timofeyev, Timofeiev, Timofeeva, Timofeyeva, Timofeiova, Timofeevich, Timofeyevich, Timofeevna, Timofeyevna, Timofeienko, Timofeeenko, Timofieenko, Timofenko, Timofienko, Timofeyenko, Timofeeikin, Timofeyikin, Timofeikin, Timofeeichev, Timofeyichev, Timofeeichik, Timofeyichik, Timofeeischev, Timofeyischev.

Spellings:

Timofeew, Timofeiw, Timofieiw, Timofyew, Timofyyw, Timofew, Timofeww, Timofoeiw, Timofow, Timoeyw, Timoefwi, Timofei.

Surnames:

Timofeeff, Timofyeff, Timofiff, Timofiffy, Timohoff, Timofsen, Timofson, Timoffon, Timoftey, Timofon, Timofuin, Timofian, Timofwon, Timofyan, Timofiy, Timofeya, Timofouy, Timoffeev, Timoffiri, Timofear, Timofenn.

Overall, there are numerous variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for the surname Timofeew, all of which are derived from the name Timothy which means "honoring God".

Famous people with the name Timofeew

• Yuri Timofeev: Russian biathlete and cross-country skier
• Margarita Timofeeva: Russian singer
• Vadim Timofeev: Russian actor
• Andrey Timofeev: Russian physicist
• Isabella Timofeeva: Russian poet
• Andrey Timofeev: Russian basketball player
• Roman Timofeev: Russian film director
• Yegor Timofeev: Russian footballer
• Oksana Timofeeva: Russian IP lawyer
• Anatoliy Timofeev: Russian historian

Other surnames

TimofeevTimofeevaTimofejeffTimofejevTimofejevaTimofejevsTimofejew