The name Simon is of Greek origin and means "he who hears." It comes from the Greek word "simōn," which is derived from the verb "акýσν" (akúein), meaning "to hear."
The name Simon appears in the New Testament of the Bible, where it was borne by one of Jesus Christ's original twelve apostles. Saint Simon the Zealot, as he is often called, is believed to have been a native of Cana in Galilee and was one of the three apostles who were not fishermen but had other occupations before becoming disciples of Jesus.
The name Simon has also been used throughout history by various notable figures. For instance, Saint Simon Stock (1165-1265) was an English monk who became the superior general of the Franciscan Order. He is known for receiving a vision of the Virgin Mary, in which she appeared holding a scapular and promised that anyone wearing it would not suffer eternal damnation.
In literature, Simon is the protagonist of J.D. Salinger's classic novel "The Catcher in the Rye," published in 1951. The name has also been used by numerous other authors throughout history, further contributing to its popularity and recognition.
Today, Simon remains a popular given name for boys around the world. Its variants include Simeon, Simão (Portuguese), Szymon (Polish), and Símon (Icelandic). The name's simplicity and ease of pronunciation have made it a consistent favorite among parents, while its biblical history and association with notable figures throughout history lend it an air of timelessness and tradition.
Based on the provided statistics, the name Simon has had a varying level of popularity among parents naming their newborn sons in the United States over the past century.
From 1913 to 1947, there were consistent low numbers of births with the name Simon, ranging from 5 to 6 per year. This suggests that during this period, the name was not very common or trendy compared to other names.
However, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, there was a notable increase in popularity for the name Simon, with annual birth counts ranging from 8 to 10. This indicates that during this time, more parents were choosing the name Simon for their sons. Interestingly, this peak in popularity coincides with the release of popular culture touchstones such as the TV show "Simon & Simon" (which aired from 1987 to 1989) and the movie "The Silence of the Lambs" (released in 1991), which featured a character named Hannibal Lecter, born as "Hannibal Lecktor," whose nickname was sometimes referred to as "Simon."
After this peak, the popularity of the name Simon decreased again, with birth counts dropping back down to around 5 births per year between 1995 and 2001. However, there was another spike in popularity in recent years, with 8 births in 2015 and 6 births in both 2012 and 2019. This suggests that while the name Simon may not have been consistently popular over time, it has maintained a steady presence among parents' naming choices.
In total, there were 161 births with the name Simon in the United States from 1913 to 2019, according to these statistics. This indicates that while Simon may not be one of the most popular names historically, it has still been chosen by many families as a unique and meaningful name for their sons over the years.