How to say it
SI · mon
/ˈsaɪ.mən/
Masculine
Simon
He has heard
What it means
Hebrew Shimʿon, 'he has heard' or 'one who hears.' One of the twelve patriarchs of Israel, and the original name of Peter the apostle.
Simon comes from the Hebrew Shimʿon ('he has heard'), built on shamaʿ ('to hear'). In Genesis, Simeon is the second son of Jacob and Leah; in the New Testament, Simon is the apostle Jesus renamed Peter. The Spanish Simón anchors several Latin American independence figures, particularly Simón Bolívar (1783-1830), who liberated five South American countries. As an English given name Simon was steady but quiet until the 1960s, then surged with the wave of biblical-name revival. It's been in the US top 200 since 2014. Common short: Si.
Popularity over time
peaked at #142 in 1886, currently #230 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pop culture
Simon Says (the children's game) and Simon Cowell (the harsh-judge persona) both shape current English-language usage.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Saint Simon Peter Apostle, renamed Peter by Jesus
- Simón Bolívar Venezuelan military and political leader, liberator of five South American countries
- Simon & Garfunkel American folk-rock duo (Paul Simon as surname)
Spelling variants
- Simeon
- Simón
- Simone
Names with the same feeling
See Simon from another angle
By meaning
By style