Gideon
Gideon was the 337th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 993 babies. Its best year was 2017, when it ranked 304th with 1,161 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 10 places. More babies were named Gideon in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning feller, hewer (one who cuts down) · Hebrew
Say it GID-ee-un /ˈɡɪdiən/
- Rank in 2025
- #337 boys, down 16 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 993boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20171,161 babies
- Total since 1880
- 22,302babies recorded
What does the name Gideon mean?
Gideon is the Hebrew name of a judge of Israel who defeated the Midianites (Judges 6-8). It is usually linked with the Hebrew verb gada', "to cut down, hew"; DMNES glosses it "destroyer, warrior", the Random House dictionary "great destroyer", and Wiktionary "feller, hewer". DMNES notes the name came into use among Protestants in the 16th century, and English Puritans used it widely.
גִּדְעוֹן (Biblical Hebrew, “hewer, one who cuts down”)
How sure is this? Probable. Standard reading from the root 'to cut down'; the exact sense is interpreted differently.
Related names: Gedeon, Gid.
See also: Hebrew names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Gideon', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Gideon', DMNES, Durham University
- Hebrew Bible / Tanakh, Judges 6.11, JPS translation with notes (via Sefaria), Sefaria
- Dictionary.com Unabridged (based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary), with Collins English Dictionary, s.v. 'Gideon', Dictionary.com / Random House / HarperCollins
Nicknames for Gideon
The usual nicknames for Gideon are Gid.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gid | Modern | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Gideons go by each one.
Gideon popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 32 since 2002.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #337 | 993 |
| 2020 | #321 | 1,031 |
| 2010 | #460 | 576 |
| 2000 | #876 | 180 |
| 1990 | #1,256 | 78 |
| 1980 | #992 | 83 |
| 1970 | #1,725 | 26 |
| 1960 | #2,160 | 15 |
| 1950 | #1,841 | 17 |
| 1940 | #2,117 | 12 |
| 1930 | #2,114 | 14 |
| 1920 | #1,399 | 28 |
| 1910 | #1,249 | 8 |
| 1900 | #807 | 11 |
| 1890 | #838 | 7 |
| 1880 | #616 | 10 |
How popular is Gideon, counting every spelling?
Gideon is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #346 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #337 for Gideon on its own. Together these spellings went to 993 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gideon | 993 | #337 | 5,205 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Gideon?
993 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Gideon (0.28 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Gideon born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 8 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Gideon.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Gideon?
About 21,200 people born in the US named Gideon are alive today, with a median age of 11; half are between 6 and 18. That makes Gideon a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Gideon by state
How common Gideon was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Idaho (3.5×), Alaska (3.3×), Maine (3.2×), Wisconsin (2.2×), Missouri (2.1×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Connecticut, New Mexico, New Jersey.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Gideon: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Gideon, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Gideon · Sibling names for Gideon
Questions about the name Gideon
What does Gideon mean?
Gideon means “feller, hewer (one who cuts down)” (Hebrew origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Gideon?
Gideon was the 337th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 993 babies. Its best year was 2017, when it ranked 304th with 1,161 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 10 places. More babies were named Gideon in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Gideon a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Gideon in the US.
Where is Gideon most popular?
In 2021–2025, Gideon was most common in Idaho (2.08 per 1,000 boys), followed by Alaska and Maine.