Given name & surname
Simon
“God has heard”
Simon is used as a given name and a surname. One Hebrew interpretation is “God has heard.”
Original Hebrewסימון
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Hebrew interpretation is “God has heard.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Hebrew.
How it developed
In Cebuano usage, Simon developed from the Spanish form Simón. In Middle English usage, Simon developed from the Ancient Greek form Σίμων.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Simon is a form of Simeon. The history of Simeon gives this family its wider story. Simeon appears in biblical tradition, giving it a longstanding religious and cultural context.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
In the Bible
In the Bible, the name Simon appears in Matthew 4:18.
From biblical name research
Simon through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 70,444
- 70,283 boys · 161 girls
- Most popular year
- 2015
- 1,653 babies
- 2025
- 1,529
- #230 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- 0%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 1,529 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 230 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 0.2% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 1,645 in 2015. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (125). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 68,780 as a first name in 2020; 78,701 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.
Simon’s family of names
In English usage, Simon has a diminutive in Sam. In French usage, Simon has a feminine form in Simone. Simon is a form of Simeon.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Simon has relatives in 43 languages. Lines run from its Hebrew roots to each of them.
Hebrewwhere Simon comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 47
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Samdiminutive · English
- Simonevariant · Italian, French
- Shimonvariant · English
- Simeonvariant · German, English
- Symonvariant
- Symeonvariant · English
- Sigmundvariant · Norwegian Nynorsk
- Simsshort form · English
Show 39 moreShow fewer
- Simionvariant · Romanian, French
- Simmsshort form · English
- Simdiminutive · English
- Simpsonshort form · English
- Sidiminutive · English
- Simaovariant
- Simanvariant
- Szymonvariant · Polish
- Semyonvariant
- Samienvariant
- Simmonvariant · German, Northern Sami
- Siemvariant · German
- Simonnlikely variant
- Symsshort form · English
- Ximonvariant · Basque
- Ximunvariant · Basque
- Symclipped form · Middle English
- Symeshort form · English
- Simenvariant · Norwegian
- Simodiminutive · Italian, Finnish
- Simsonshort form · English
- Siomonvariant
- Simuvariant
- Simonsenvariant · German, Danish
- Simonsvariant · German
- Simoneitvariant · German
- Simmvariant · German
- Simmigvariant · German
- Simmgenvariant · German
- Simmankvariant · German
- Simandlvariant · German
- Siemonvariant · German
- Siemensvariant · German
- Schimmangvariant · German
- Schimkevariant · German
- Schimanskivariant · German
- Simečekpet form
- Simunekpet form
- Si(on)ekpet form
Spellings & scripts 8
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 49
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- סימוןHebrew
- Simonafeminine form
- Samanequivalent
- KimonaHawaiian
- Симеонequivalent
- सिमांवequivalent
- شمعونequivalent
- سمعانequivalent
Show 41 moreShow fewer
- שמעוןequivalent
- Szymekequivalent
- Taimonaequivalent
- Símonequivalent
- Simonson“son of” surname · English
- Xmunderivative · Maltese
- Siimuutborrowing · Greenlandic
- Σίμωνroot · Greek, Ancient Greek
- Simãoderivative · Portuguese
- Simónroot · Spanish
- Chamoundoublet · French
- Simkinderivative · English
- Mckimderivative · English
- Zimoondescendant · yol
- ŠimonCzech, Slovak
- Syamyonequivalent
- Simeónequivalent
- Сенькаequivalent
- Simeóequivalent
- ΣίμωναςGreek
- SimonasLithuanian
- СямёнBelarusian
- SímunFaroese
- ܫܡܥܘܢSyriac
- Semoizh
- ⲥⲓⲙⲱⲛonw
- SimóCatalan
- SìmScottish Gaelic
- СемёнRussian
- HaimonaMāori
- SiimEstonian
- СаймонUkrainian
- ŠimunCroatian
- شِمْعُونُArabic
- SiméonFrench
- СеменUkrainian
- SchimunRomansh
- HimionaMāori
- SymanUpper Sorbian
- Siemencognate
- Siomóncognate
See also 13
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Simon
- Simon PeggEnglish actor (born 1970)
- Simon van der MeerDutch physicist (1925–2011)
- Simon KuznetsRussian-born American economist and statistician (1901–1985)
- Simon MignoletBelgian association football player (born 1988)
- Simon KjærDanish footballer (born 1989)
- Simon CowellEnglish television personality, businessman, producer, record executiveborn 1959
- Simon BakerAustralian actor and director (born 1969)
- Bill EnglishPrime Minister of New Zealand from 2016 to 2017born 1961
- Simon StevinFlemish mathematician, physicist and engineer (1548–1620)
Characters named Simon: The Saint (fictional character known as The Saint), Simon Belmont (Castlevania series character), Ghost (the Call of Duty series), Simon Baz (fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by DC Comics).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Simon, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Gideon
“one who cuts down” · “a mighty warrior; one who fells trees”
>99% boys
Abel
“the life force; breath”
>99% boys
Zion
“from the citadel”
93% boys · 7% girls
Tobias
“The Lord is good”
>99% boys
Eli
“one who has ascended; my God on high”
99% boys · 1% girls
Isaac
“full of laughter”
>99% boys
Jonah
“dove”
99% boys · 1% girls
Judah
“praised” · “one who praises God”
98% boys · 2% girls