The first name Gideon
A boy’s name from Hebrew meaning “gideon”, “feller”, “hewer”.
Pronounced /ˈɡɪd.i.ən/ 3 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Hebrew origin
Gideon means “gideon”, “feller”, “hewer” in Hebrew.
Borrowed from Hebrew גִּדְעוֹן (gid'ón, “Gideon”) ("feller", "hewer", "mighty warrior").
More names that mean warrior.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 31 boys were named Gideon, making it the 976th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2017, with 55 births (#644).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Gideon with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Gideon at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 993 boys born in the United States were named Gideon, the 337th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2017, when 1,161 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Gideon in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Famous people named Gideon
16 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Gideon MantellBritish scientist and obstetrician (1790–1852)
- Ernst Gideon von LaudonAustrian general (1717–1790)
- Gideon MensahAssociation football player, born 1998
- Gideon WellesAmerican government official; United States Secretary of the Navy from 1861 to 1869 (1802–
- Gideon JungGerman footballer of Ghanaian descent, born 1994
- Gideon EmeryBritish actor, born 1972
- Gideon KleinCzech composer (1919–1945)
- Gideon LeeAmerican politician (1778-1841)
- Gideon C. MoodyAmerican senator (1832–1904)
- Gideon GrangerAmerican Postmaster General (1767-1822)
- Gideon TomlinsonAmerican politician (1780-1854)
- Gideon Brand van ZylFormer Governor-General of South Africa, 1873–1956
More Hebrew boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Gideon mean?
- Gideon means “gideon”, “feller”, “hewer” in Hebrew.
- What is the origin of the name Gideon?
- Borrowed from Hebrew גִּדְעוֹן (gid'ón, “Gideon”) ("feller", "hewer", "mighty warrior").
- How popular is the name Gideon?
- In 2025, 31 boys born in England and Wales were named Gideon, ranking 976th. Its peak was 2017, with 55 births.
- Is Gideon a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 22,302 US babies named Gideon since 1880 were boys.
- When was Gideon most popular?
- 2017 in the United States, when 1,161 babies were named Gideon, its highest rank at 304th.
- How do you pronounce Gideon?
- Gideon is /ˈɡɪd.i.ən/, 3 syllables.
- Is Gideon also a surname?
- Yes. Gideon is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.