UK boy's name
Timur
A masculine name of Turkic origin meaning "iron" or "ironmonger".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Timur is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Timur popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1402, with 19 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2015, with 34 births.
This profile covers 506 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 56% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 515 living people in the UK are called Timur. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Timur ranked #1402 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 19 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2015, when 34 boys were registered as Timur.
- • Timur ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #403 in 2012.
- • About 515 living people in the UK are estimated to have Timur as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1402
2024
Births in 2024
19
Latest year
Peak year
2015
34 births
Estimated living
515
2026
Meaning
What does Timur mean?
The name Timur has its origins in the Turkic languages, specifically the Chagatai Turkic language spoken in Central Asia during the 14th and 15th centuries. It is derived from the word "demir," meaning "iron" in several Turkic languages. The name was popularized by the famous Turco-Mongol conqueror Timur, also known as Timur the Lame or Tamerlane.
Timur, born in 1336 in Kesh (modern-day Shakhrisabz, Uzbekistan), was the founder of the Timurid Empire, which spanned much of Central Asia, Iran, and parts of modern-day Turkey and India. He is considered one of the most successful military leaders and tacticians in history, known for his brilliant strategies and ruthless campaigns. Timur's conquests left a significant impact on the cultural and architectural landscape of the regions he ruled.
The name Timur can be found in various historical records and chronicles from the Timurid period, including the "Zafarnama" (Book of Victory) written by Timur's court historian Nizamuddin Shami. It also appears in Persian and Arabic literary works, reflecting the cultural influence of Timur and his empire.
In addition to Timur the Great, several other notable historical figures bore the name Timur. One such figure was Timur Shah Durrani (1748-1793), the second ruler of the Durrani Empire in modern-day Afghanistan and Pakistan. Another was Timur Khan (1748-1799), a renowned leader of the Giray dynasty and the last Khan of the Crimean Khanate.
Other prominent individuals with the name Timur include Timur Malik (died 1495), a powerful military commander and governor under the Timurid Empire, and Timur Gurkani (1459-1501), a Timurid ruler and grandson of Timur the Great who briefly ruled parts of modern-day Iran and Central Asia.
While the name Timur has its roots in Central Asian history and culture, it has also been adopted and used in various parts of the world, particularly in regions with Turkic or Persian cultural influences. However, its historical significance and association with the legendary Timur the Great remain deeply ingrained in its meaning and legacy.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Timur over time
The chart below shows babies named Timur registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Timur, the clearest high point is 2015. The latest England and Wales figure is 19 births in 2024, compared with 34 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Timur by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Timur was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #1052 | 142 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1101 | 255 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1977 | 86 | 10 |
| 1990s | #2014 | 23 | 4 |
Geography
Where Timur is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Timur. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Timur ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #403 in 2012.
Across the UK
Timur in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#535 in 2024
2 years of NRS records, 9 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#403 in 2012
1 years of NISRA records, 3 total registered
Related
Names similar to Timur
- Thomas 160,894
- Tyler 42,147
- Theo 40,594
- Toby 32,482
- Theodore 30,211
- Tommy 25,300
- Teddy 20,781
- Taylor 14,354
- Tobias 13,102
- Tom 9,822
- Tristan 9,171
- Timothy 6,200
FAQ
Timur: questions and answers
How popular is the name Timur in the UK right now?
In 2024, Timur was ranked #1402 for boys in England and Wales, with 19 births registered.
When was Timur most popular?
The peak year on record was 2015, with 34 babies registered as Timur in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Timur?
A masculine name of Turkic origin meaning "iron" or "ironmonger".
How many people are called Timur in the UK?
A total of 506 babies have been registered as Timur across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 9 more in Scotland and 3 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Timur most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Timur ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #403 in 2012. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.