The first name Simon
A boy’s name from Hebrew meaning “snub-nosed”, “protector of victory”.
Pronounced /ˈsaɪmən/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Hebrew origin
Simon means “snub-nosed”, “protector of victory” in Hebrew.
From Middle English Simon, Symond, Symounde, from Anglo-Norman Simon, Simond, Simund, a conflation of two unrelated names: one from Latin Simon, from Koine Greek Σίμων (Símōn), strictly from Ancient Greek—likely σῑμός (sīmós, “snub-nosed”)—but used for Biblical Hebrew שִׁמְעוֹן (šimʿōn), doublet of Simeon; the other from Old Norse Sigmundr or Old English Siġemund, both from Proto-Germanic *Sigimunduz (literally “Protector of victory”), whence also Sigmund and Siegmund.
More names that mean protector, victory.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 63 boys were named Simon, making it the 606th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 656 births (#87).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Simon with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Simon at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 1,529 boys born in the United States were named Simon, the 230th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2015, when 1,645 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.
Simon in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Simon in Danish, French, German, Latin, Norwegian and Swedish too.
Nicknames and spellings
Nicknames for Simon
- Si
- Sim
Famous people named Simon
362 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Simon PeggEnglish actor (born 1970)
- Simon van der MeerDutch physicist (1925–2011)
- Simon MignoletBelgian association football player (born 1988)
- Simon KjærDanish footballer (born 1989)
- Simon BakerAustralian actor and director (born 1969)
- Simon CowellEnglish television personality, businessman, producer, record executive, born 1959
- Simon HelbergAmerican actor and comedian, born 1980
- Simon StevinFlemish mathematician, physicist and engineer (1548–1620)
- Simon MariusGerman astronomer (1573–1624)
- Simon NewcombAmerican astronomer (1835–1909)
- Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of LeicesterAnglo-Norman nobleman who led a rebellion against King Henry III of England (1208-1265)
- Simon RolfesGerman footballer, born 1982
More Hebrew boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Simon mean?
- Simon means “snub-nosed”, “protector of victory” in Hebrew.
- What is the origin of the name Simon?
- From Middle English Simon, Symond, Symounde, from Anglo-Norman Simon, Simond, Simund, a conflation of two unrelated names: one from Latin Simon, from Koine Greek Σίμων (Símōn), strictly from Ancient Greek—likely σῑμός (sīmós, “snub-nosed”)—but used for Biblical Hebrew שִׁמְעוֹן (šimʿōn), doublet…
- How popular is the name Simon?
- In 2025, 63 boys born in England and Wales were named Simon, ranking 606th. Its peak was 1996, with 656 births.
- What are nicknames for Simon?
- Common nicknames for Simon include Si, Sim.
- Is Simon a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 70,444 US babies named Simon since 1880 were boys.
- When was Simon most popular?
- 2015 in the United States, when 1,645 babies were named Simon, its highest rank at 235th.
- How do you pronounce Simon?
- Simon is /ˈsaɪmən/, 2 syllables.
- Is Simon also a surname?
- Yes. Simon is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.