Simeon

שִׁמְעוֹן

• Gender: Male
• Origin: Biblical English
• Meaning: hearing

• Simeon is one of those biblical names that feels like it has been patiently waiting its turn. As the name of Jacob's second son — meaning "hearing" — it predates the more familiar Simon by centuries and carries a weight of ancestral significance. It has a gentler, more lyrical quality that sets it apart from its streamlined cousin, and it is starting to catch the attention of parents who want something rooted but unexpected.

  Simeon Solomon, the Victorian Jewish painter who brought scenes from the Torah and Jewish ritual life into the Pre-Raphaelite movement, shared this patriarch's name with stunning artistic purpose. That gorgeous three-syllable cadence puts this name right alongside Nathaniel and Theodore in terms of sheer elegance. It ages beautifully from toddler to judge and pairs perfectly with the revival of other dusty-elegant Old Testament picks. The kind of name that sounds like it belongs on a library card and a concert ticket in equal measure.

• Hebrew Equivalent:
  Shimon
• Potential Sibling Name:
  Delilah
  ,
  Liya
  ,
  Gideon
  ,
  Phineas