How to say it
xi · ME · na
/hiˈmeɪ.nə/
Feminine
Ximena
Listening, or feminine of Simon
What it means
Spanish (Castilian) form of Jimena, the historical feminine of Simon (Hebrew Shimon, 'he has heard'). Doña Jimena Díaz (c. 1046-1116), the wife of Spain's national hero El Cid, is the deepest cultural anchor.
Ximena is the older Spanish (Castilian) spelling of Jimena, the historical feminine of Simon (Hebrew Shimon, 'he has heard' or 'God has listened'). The X spelling reflects medieval Spanish before the orthographic reform that shifted many X sounds to J in modern Spanish. Doña Jimena Díaz (c. 1046-1116), wife of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (El Cid), Spain's national hero, is the deepest cultural anchor; she appears in the Cantar de Mio Cid (c. 1207) and in countless adaptations including the 1961 El Cid film (Sophia Loren as Chimene). As a US first name Ximena has been climbing since 2000 with Mexican American population growth. It entered the US top 100 in 2012 and is steady in the 100-150 range. Common short: Xime (HEE-meh) or Mena.
Popularity over time
peaked at #118 in 2018, currently #183 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
- Pronunciation
hee-MEN-ah, three syllables, stress on the second. The X is pronounced as an H (the old Castilian X = modern J).
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.
- Doña Jimena Díaz Wife of El Cid, Spanish national heroine, c. 1046-1116
Spelling variants
- Jimena
- Chimène
- Xiomena
Names with the same feeling
See Ximena from another angle
By meaning
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