Timmons
Usually a patronymic surname meaning “son of Tim” or “son of Timothy.”
The #1,734 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 14,936 Americans shares it.
Etymology
In English usage, Timmons is generally understood as a patronymic built from the short form Tim, itself from Timothy. Harrison explicitly treats Timmons as “Timmon’s (son),” and other surname dictionaries group it with Timms, Timmins, and Timson as related forms. In Irish contexts, some bearers may also reflect Anglicized Gaelic surnames that were recorded with similar spellings, so the name can have more than one historical pathway.
History
The name is well attested in Britain and Ireland and later spread to North America through ordinary migration. English surname writers in the 19th century commonly linked it to Timothy-based forms, while Irish sources show it alongside several Anglicized Gaelic variants, which helps explain its multiple spellings. In the U.S., Timmons has remained a modestly common surname, with Timms, Timmins, and Tummon appearing as related or regional variants in older records.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname collections sometimes list Timmons right alongside Timms and Timson as if they were all branches of the same naming pattern from Timothy or Tim.
From the historical record
“vi. 5.) [f. Gr. Ti/ios, Ti/iii, honour, reward] TIMMONS, Timmon's (Son). TIMMS, Timm's (Son) : v. Tim(m, Timothy. TIMOTHY (A.-Gr.) Honoured of God [Gr. tt/iieeos (Lat. Tinietheus),f.nfidu, I honour, revere -|- Beds, God : cp. the reverse for- mation Qe6-Ti.fi.os, honoured of God] TIMPANY (Celt.) Harper, Minstrel…”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)