Given name & surname
Simeon
“hearkening”
Simeon is used as a given name and a surname. One Hebrew interpretation is “hearkening.”
Original Hebrewשמעון
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Hebrew interpretation is “hearkening.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Hebrew.
How it developed
From Latin Simeon, from Ancient Greek Σῠμεών, from Hebrew שִׁמְעוֹן, from Hebrew שָׁמַע, from Proto-Semitic *šamaʕ-.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
The name appears in biblical tradition, giving it a longstanding religious and cultural context.
In the Bible
In the Bible, the name Simeon appears in Genesis 29:33, Genesis 49:7, Joshua 19:1 and 4 other passages.
- Genesis 29:33
- Genesis 49:7
- Joshua 19:1
- Revelation 7:7
- Ezra 10:31
- Luke 2:25
- Luke 3:30
From biblical name research
Simeon through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 9,487
- 9,462 boys · 25 girls
- Most popular year
- 2019
- 222 babies
- 2025
- 197
- #1,094 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −12%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 197 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,094 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 12.0% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 222 in 2019. In 2025, Pennsylvania had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (17). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 8,169 as a first name in 2020; 3,129 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Simeon’s family of names
In English usage, Simeon has a diminutive in Sim. In Filipino usage, Simeon has a feminine form in SIMEONA. In German usage, Simeon has a related form in Simon.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Simeon has relatives in 18 languages. Lines run from its Hebrew roots to each of them.
17 related names in 18 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 7
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 24
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 13
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Simeon
- Simeon IIBulgarian politician and royal (born 1937)
- Simeon I of BulgariaBulgarian Tsar who ruled from 893 to 927863–927
- Simeon of MoscowPrince of Moscow and Grand Prince of Vladimir (1316-1353)
- Simeon StylitesChristian ascetic saint389–459
- Simeon BekbulatovichTatar Khan, Grand Prince of Rus1600–1616
- Symeon the New TheologianChristian saint, monk, and theologian949–1022
- Simeon of Jerusalemhuman biblical figure in Acts 13:1, early bishop of Jerusalem100–107
- Symeon the Metaphrast10th century Byzantine historian and hagiographer900–987
- SimyNigerian footballerborn 1992
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Simeon, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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