The name Timayy is derived from the Coptic word ⲑⲙⲟⲩ tmoui, meaning "island", a fairly common Coptic place name element. In this case it is an abbreviation of Demotic tꜣ-mꜣw.t-n-pr-bꜣ-nb-ḏd.t "the island of Mendes". The second part Amdid (older form Mandid or Mandadi) comes from , a compound toponym the first part of which is ϭⲓⲏ "border, edge" and the second one comes from Egyptian pr-bꜣ-nb-ḏd.t "temple of Aries of the lord of ḏdt" which is also the source of .
